With sustainable cotton in fashion, Indian farmers seek fair price | News | Eco-Business – GWC Mag

Climate change increases risks

On top of this, climate change is exacerbating the pests and diseases that affect the cotton crop, said D. Narasimha Reddy, an agricultural economist based in Telangana.

Until a decade ago, scientists recorded about 260 types of pest attack per season in India but the number has since risen to 350, said Reddy, noting that the incidence of fungi has also increased, especially one that blackens the cotton inside the ball.

Solidaridad, an international farmer network based in the Netherlands, warned in a paper this month that such pests and diseases will increase in a warming world.

It said that all cotton-growing regions, including India, will be exposed to increased risk from at least one climate hazard by 2040, including extreme heat and water stress, with poorer cotton producers expected to suffer disproportionately.

Farmers will need additional support to adapt to climate change and transition to greener practices, said sustainability scientist Manan Bhan, who works with the India-based Ashoka Trust for Research in Ecology and the Environment.

As farmers are central to sustainability strategies being implemented by the private sector, business “needs to walk the talk”, involving farmers and their collectives from the start, he said.

Once farmers’ needs and challenges have been identified, they should be offered training and capacity-building to roll out greener practices, backed with financing options to ease the transition, Bhan said.

For the shift to happen on a large scale, Reddy said the government also needs to create policies to support farmers by providing them with subsidies, easy licensing, marketing channels, storage and processing, and insurance for climate shocks.

Solidaridad’s paper puts the onus on cotton retailers and brands – which have “the greatest share of money and influence in the value chain” – to be a driving force in the industry’s transition and go beyond just purchasing 100 per cent of their cotton from certified sources.

“They need to establish agricultural budgets to invest in regenerative and agro-ecological practices that support producers to adapt to, and mitigate, climate change,” it said.

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