Better Cotton has announced four new 'Impact Targets' covering soil health, women’s empowerment, pesticides, and sustainable livelihoods. The new metrics form part of its ongoing 2030 Strategy.
- The new targets sit alongside the first commitment outlined in the organisation’s strategy—related to Climate Change Mitigation—which sets out to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 50% per tonne of Better Cotton lint produced by the end of the decade.
The Context: The recent Synthesis Report of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change’s (IPCC) has warned that every increment of global warming results in rapidly escalating climate hazards, with more intense heatwaves, heavier rainfall and other weather extremes expected to further increase risks to human health and ecosystems.
- With more than 22 million tonnes produced annually, cotton is one of the world’s most important renewable resources and exists in very diverse landscapes.
- The sector’s development, Better Cotton believes, has the potential to reduce poverty while promoting sustainability and equality. This was why the four new Impact Targets were developed in conjunction with leading civil society organisations and industry experts.
The Targets: The new Impact Targets will allow Better Cotton to continue taking measurable steps to support more sustainable cotton production.
- Sustainable Livelihoods: Sustainably increase the net income and resilience of two million cotton farmers and workers.
- Soil Health: Ensure 100% of Better Cotton farmers have improved the health of their soil.
- Women’s Empowerment: Reach one million women in cotton with programmes and resources that promote equal farm decision-making, build climate resilience, or support improved livelihoods. And ensure 25% of field staff are women with the power to influence sustainable cotton production.
- Pesticides: Reduce the use and risk of synthetic pesticides applied by Better Cotton farmers and workers by at least 50%.
Pushing further towards regenerative and climate-smart agriculture, Better Cotton wants to ensure cotton farmers and farm workers are equipped to address their environmental impact, futureproof their operations, and adapt to the often-unpredictable effects of global warming.
What They Said:
We welcome the four additional Impact Targets that form part of Better Cotton’s 2030 Strategy. Together, we can help increase yields and market access for smallholder farmers, promote decent work, reduce inequality, and drive women’s empowerment in cotton production.
— Alan McClay
Chief Executive Officer
Better Cotton
Climate change impacts everybody, but the most affected are often women, children, low-income households and small-scale producers. Better Cotton’s 2030 Strategy continues to set the direction of its ten-year plan to drive impact at the field level over and above compliance with the Better Cotton Standard (Principles & Criteria). These new commitments also align with the 2030 Sustainable Development Goals and build on the agreements reached at COP27 to reach action-based climate mitigation outcomes for cotton farming communities.
— Tamar Hoek
Senior Policy Advisor, Sustainable Fashion
Solidaridad
