The damage to livelihoods, the environment and future cotton production could be irreversible if brands and retailers don't change their relationship with farmers and their value chains, a deep dive paper on cotton and climate has warned.
- The alert has been made in the paper Cotton and Climate, published by Solidaridad on the Sustainable Cotton Hub website, which already hosts the Sustainable Cotton Ranking of companies. The author of the report is Tamar Hoek.
- The paper comes in the face of Black Friday on 24 November, and the ensuing 2023 UN Climate Change Conference which will convene from 30 November to 12 December in Dubai, United Arab Emirates (UAE).
The highlights: The paper looks at the impact of climate crisis on cotton production and explores the sources of emissions in cotton production, before going deep into climate-smart cotton production.
- The study finds that most of the climate focus in the cotton sector has rightly been on sustainability within textile and clothing manufacturing.
- The problem, however, is that farmers and farm workers will suffer from the effects of climate change most acutely, and need support to adopt regenerative practices, adapt to a changing climate, and build resiliency.
- The prediction is stark: "In the foreseeable future almost all cotton producing regions will be negatively impacted by climate change, likely reducing their crop options further, and experienced cotton farmers will need support from the cotton industry if they are to play their full part in mitigating climate change."
More climate-friendly: The potential benefits of addressing cotton’s climate challenges are greater than the synthetic alternatives.
- Out of all the 113 million tonnes of textile fibres produced in 2021, cotton accounted for 22%—second only to synthetic polyester at 54%.
- According to Textile Exchange estimates for 2021, 503 million tonnes of CO2 emissions came from textile production worldwide. Of this, 11.5% were from cellulosic fibres (like viscose, acetate, and lyocell), 14% from plant-based fibres (like cotton, rubber, and jute), 18% from animal fibres (like feathers, wool, silk, and leather), and 56% from synthetic fibres.
- Of these categories, between 2020 and 2021, only plant-based fibres saw a drop in CO2 emissions.
- On the other hand, synthetic fibres such as nylon and polyester have a high emission value compared to plant fibres such as cotton or linen, because they require a high level of energy use in their production. So, a polyester shirt has a greater carbon footprint than a cotton shirt (5.5 kg vs. 4.3 kg).
- Some assessments indicate that more carbon is removed from the atmosphere and stored in cotton fibre than is emitted in growing and ginning the crop.
The way out: The analysis resulted in different sets of recommendations for different stakeholders, which can be summarised thus:
- Retailers and Brands: Take responsibility for the value chain by investing in producers so they can adapt to, and help mitigate, climate change.
- Farmers and Standards Systems: Agrochemicals are the biggest source of emissions in the production phase, which also harm soils and drive biodiversity loss. They must be phased out and training, support, and resources provided to adopt more sustainable and regenerative agroecological practices.
- Civil Society Organizations, Multi-Stakeholder Initiatives, and Governments: Support stakeholders to transition from a harm reduction ‘sustainability’ mindset to a ‘regenerative’ mindset.
The last word: Somewhere early on in the paper, it is asserted: “Companies can enable cotton farmers to adapt and grow cotton in a changed climate, and in such a way that it not only doesn’t contribute to climate change, but actually helps tackle it. These are entirely achievable possibilities.”
