Page 11 - TEXtalks November/December 2021

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Global Cotton Scenario: ICAC Better Cotton Impact Report

According to the latest publication of the International being 101.34 cents per lb. Cotton prices are also 2020 indicates significant
Cotton Advisory Committee (ICAC), The cotton high in China, with the CC Index averaging 126
market is riding on several bull variables; world cents/lb since the season began.
cotton demand is showing signs of recovery and improvement by Pakistan
strength, with world exports for 2021/22 being ICAC has projected a decline in world cotton stocks
revised upwards to 10.2 million tonnes and world in 2021/22. Higher demand compared to production
consumption revised upwards to 25.8 million tonnes.
The opening of economies, activities, and is expected to cause ending stocks to decline for the Better Cotton Impact Report 2020 is now available, showing significant benefits for those countries and farmers
businesses has revived consumer demand for second year in a row to stand at 19.7 million tonnes, who joined the Better Cotton Initiative. The impact is what we all want to see in sustainability. The Better Cotton
textiles and clothing. Therefore, the cotton prices 5% lower than the previous season. The Secretariat’s program was directly implemented in 12 countries, including China, India, Pakistan, Tajikistan, and Turkey. The
have been trending upwards, with the Cotlook A current price forecast of the season-average A index report comprises the environmental and economic indicators. The environmental factors included: pesticides,
index opening high in the 2021/22 season (which for 2021/22 ranges from 76 cents to 126 cents, with a organic and synthetic fertilizers, biopesticides, and water consumption. The economic factors included: yield
started in August 2021), with the season average midpoint at 98.20 cents per pound. and profitability.
Among the 12 countries, Pakistan has shown better improvement through these programs. For example,
regarding water consumption, Pakistan reduced water consumption to -11% m3/hectare, while India and
Turkey reduced water consumption by -10 and -2%, respectively. For the cotton yield, Pakistan showed an
improved yield with a value of +12% lint mt/ hectare, while India, Turkey, and China showed a yield increase of
+9%, +5%, and +10% lint mt/ hectare, respectively. Regarding profit increase, Pakistan again outperformed
other countries with Better Cotton Initiative. It showed a significant increase in profit by +35% net income/hec-
tare, while India, Turkey, and China showed +18%, +19%, and +17% increase in profit, respectively.

Heimtextil 2022 delayed due In Pakistan, Better Cotton Farmers reported 12% higher yields and 35% higher profits than Compared Farmers,
mainly due to their improved knowledge of seed selection, crop protection, and soil health. Despite the
challenges, Better Cotton Farmers leveraged the knowledge gained through their Better Cotton training to use
12% fewer pesticides than Comparison Farmers. In particular, Better Cotton Farmers learned to only spray
to Omicron variant pesticides when pest levels reached a certain threshold, apply biopesticides such as natural neem oil instead
of chemical pesticides, and plant a diverse range of plants to encourage and preserve beneficial insects.

Furthermore, Pakistani farmers also showed significant improvement regarding child labor standards. With
continuous training on child labor prevention, 58% of farmers reported an advanced level of awareness on this
Heimtextil, scheduled to take place in the second developments and resolutions that are clearly outside crucial issue. Some Implementing Partners, including WWF Pakistan, showed videos on decent work on LED
week of January, is canceled due to the worsening the realm of influence of the organizer have led to a screens mounted on vans in their villages. Thus, Pakistan is on the right way with the right partner named
pandemic situation in Germany over the past two significant deterioration in the general conditions and Better Cotton. In the 2019-20 season, India was the largest Better Cotton program country by many participat-
weeks and the associated restrictions. Messe requirements for holding Heimtextil as a significant ing farmers. There was also a significant increase in numbers of licensed farmers and volumes of Better Cotton
Frankfurt is working with the industry to determine trade fair of international relevance at this early stage. produced, compared to the previous season. Better Cotton Farmers achieved 9% higher yields and 18%
whether and in what form a new offering in the greater profits than Comparison Farmers by adopting more sustainable practices.
summer of 2022 can be organized to run parallel to These developments include in particular the
the Techtextil/Texprocess trade fair duo. Later events classification of Germany as a high-risk area and the For Australia, the multi-year drought, combined with less irrigation water available in storage, and decreased
such as Ambiente, Christmasworld, Creativeworld, associated travel warnings, international and soil moisture levels, led directly to the 2019-20 season seeing one of the smallest cotton plantings ever in
Paperworld, and Frankfurt Fashion Week are still intercontinental travel restrictions in India, Japan, the Australia. Overall, 48 myBMP/Better Cotton Farmers produced 31,000 tonnes of Better Cotton, a significant
planned. United States, and Great Britain, as well as the decrease in 2018-2019, when 77 farmers produced 92,000 tonnes – a direct reflection of the drought. Better
quarantine obligation and “2G” (only with vaccinated
The exponential increase in the number of infections and recovered status) requirements without Cotton collects data from all medium and large farms participating in the Better Cotton program. For smallhold-
ers, Better Cotton uses a sampling approach to collect data from a representative sample of farmers. Each
in a brief period and the accompanying multitude of recognition of the WHO vaccine list in Germany.
year, Learning Groups (small groups of around 35 farmers) are randomly selected by Better Cotton to partici-
pate in these samples (at the end of the cotton season).

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