The US Department of Agriculture has granted $30 million for building a new, accessible, and equitable market opportunities for climate-smart cotton and wool. The lead partner on this grant is the National Center for Appropriate Technology (NCAT).
- The NCAT and its five Climate Beneficial Fiber project partners; Carbon Cycle Institute, Colorado State University Department of Soil and Crop Sciences, Fibershed, Seed2Shirt, and New York Textile Lab, will receive up to $30 million to support the expansion of climate-smart wool and cotton production on 135 farms and ranches spread across 2.1 million acres.
- This project will expand the existing Climate Beneficial Fibre programme: a system for sequestering carbon, regenerating soil health and resilience, improving social equity, and bolstering America's ability to produce climate-smart fibre.
- A newly created, open-source, Carbon Farm Planning and Verification Platform will streamline climate-smart agriculture planning and verification for producers, verifiers, and supply chain stakeholders.
The backdrop: Textile and apparel production accounts for up to 10 percent of global carbon emissions, and the industry is moving to meet market demand for improved climate impact across supply chains.
- Growing concerns about textile-derived microplastics, land-use impacts, and human rights have also prompted an industry-wide shift to seek natural fibre sources with verified benefits to land and climate.
Where the project comes in: The project expands the existing Climate Beneficial fibre programme, an established, market-proven system for sequestering carbon, regenerating soil health and resilience, improving social equity, and bolstering America’s ability to produce fibres.
- The 20-year GHG impact of practices implemented on a share of the participating farms during the grant period is projected to be a reduction of at least three million metric tonnes of CO2.
- Other benefits will include reduced application of synthetic fertilisers, improved soil health, and increased soil organic matter, water holding capacity, and enhanced resilience to a changing climate.
- The project aims to meet the equity goals of the Justice40 Initiative and will prioritise engagement with traditionally underserved producers.
What they said:
NCAT has a long, trusted history of supporting farmers and ranchers who want to produce sustainably-made products that not only are part of the climate solution, but also strengthen local and regional businesses that buy, make, and sell the products that power America. This investment in climate-smart ag will have a tremendous impact across some of this country’s most important sectors.
— Steve Thompson
Executive Director
National Center for Appropriate Technology
Given the historic impact cotton has had on the African American community in the US we are happy to see the matched level of commitment by our partners and USDA to ensuring black cotton farmers are a part of this important work to heal the land and heal farm families and communities, through climate smart agriculture practices. Our team at Seed2Shirt views this as another step in our work towards the equitable value chain of cotton production we are working diligently every day to create.
— Tameka Peoples
Founder and CEO
Seed2Shirt
Climate Beneficial wool growers took the first risk with us in 2015 and now Climate Beneficial cotton growers are putting themselves out to trial new ways of doing things for the health of the soil. This grant allows us to build out the markets in the ways that we need to, to keep rural communities strong, farmers farming, and ranchers ranching in a way that puts carbon back where it belongs.
— Rebecca Burgess
Founder and Executive Director
Fibershed
