Cotton

India's cotton sector has a productivity problem, a quality problem and a market-credibility problem. On Tuesday, the Union Cabinet approved a Rs 5,659.22 crore mission that proposes to address all three simultaneously, through seeds, ginning modernisation, traceability infrastructure and a national branding programme. What the mission does not address may be more revealing than what it does.

Cottonseed waste has been shown to yield biodiesel at volumes sufficient to power cotton cultivation itself, through a closed-loop system that recycles all byproducts. Biochar derived from defatted cottonseed serves as a high-performance catalyst, achieving an 83.5% biodiesel yield. Syngas produced during the process is converted into methanol and reused, creating a self-sustaining, fossil-fuel-free energy cycle.

Organic cotton grown by smallholders in Tanzania under the Cotton made in Africa Organic standard has recorded one of the lowest environmental footprints in global cotton production, new research has confirmed. The findings, drawn from a comprehensive lifecycle analysis, showed that the absence of synthetic pesticides, artificial fertilisers, and irrigation kept emissions well below industry norms.

Cotton's farm-level production standard has been strengthened with a sharper regenerative agriculture focus, following BCI's release of Principles and Criteria v.3.2. The updated standard introduces targeted improvements to selected indicators, enhances auditability across diverse growing contexts, and advances BCI's broader ambition to operate as a fully regenerative standards system.

A scientific report has examined the microscopic structure and physicochemical properties of mulberry silk, explaining why the fibre displays distinctive lustre, smoothness and skin compatibility. Using microscopy and biomedical research, the analysis describes how silk’s natural microstructure influences optical reflection, friction behaviour, moisture absorption and potential applications in textiles, beauty and biomedical materials.

New research is examining whether recycled cotton fibres can replace wood-based pulp used in viscose manufacturing. By comparing cotton waste pulp with conventional wood feedstock during early stages of the viscose process, the study explores whether textile waste could become a viable raw material for producing regenerated cellulosic fibres within existing industrial systems.

The environmental case for natural textiles rests heavily on biodegradability—the idea that cotton and wool, unlike polyester, return cleanly to the environment. A team of UK researchers has tested that premise against physical evidence from lake sediments in Staffordshire, recovering natural fibres from deposits spanning more than a century.

The Global Organic Textile Standard has released Version 8.0, expanding environmental, governance and product safety requirements across certified organic textile supply chains. The revision strengthens rules on chemicals, emissions and waste while introducing circularity provisions, microfibre monitoring and enhanced due diligence obligations designed to align certification practices with evolving regulatory and sustainability expectations.

Recycled cotton has become one of fashion's most prominent sustainability credentials—and one of its least verifiable. No independent method has existed to confirm how much mechanically recycled cotton a garment actually contains, or whether it derives from post-consumer waste. Researchers are now proposing a laboratory-based toolbox that could, for the first time, provide that confirmation from the fibres themselves.

The single largest cotton trading company and a public sector undertaking under the Union Ministry of Textiles, the Cotton Corporation of India (CCI), established in 1970, undertakes price support and commercial purchase operations to safeguard the economic interest of farmers in the cotton growing regions and to ensure its smooth supply to the textile industry. A Q&A with its Chairman-Cum-Managing Director, Lalit Kumar Gupta.