Cotton and Climate Paper

The new paper on Cotton and Climate, hosted on the Sustainable Cotton Hub, reveals that within the foreseeable future almost every cotton producing region will be negatively affected by climate change. And smallholder farmers living in poverty because of low cotton prices will not be able to adapt fast enough to ensure reliable production.

This paper shows that net-zero fossil fibers are not possible, but net-zero and even net-positive cotton might be feasible. However, current cotton farming practices too often are ecologically damaging and still contribute to climate change. 

If retailers and brands don’t change their relationship with cotton farmers and their value chains, the damage to livelihoods, environments, and future production may become irreversible.