CottonConnect publishes Impact Report 2024 and latest LCA study
Our third annual impact report includes the results of our second Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) study of the REEL Cotton Programme. The LCA data demonstrates that the REEL Cotton Programme achieves higher yields, reduced water consumption, and improved nitrogen use efficiency. Across all impact categories, the REEL Cotton Programme exhibits significant improvements, with most potential savings exceeding 35% compared with the control results.
Highlights
In 2023-24, CottonConnect trained over 452,000 farmers in sustainable agricultural practices in India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, China, Egypt, and Türkiye, increasing farmers’ yield and income whilst reducing environmental impacts.
CottonConnect’s second LCA study of the REEL Cotton Programme demonstrated a reduction in negative impact of cotton cultivation on the environment across all impact categories, including a 35% saving potential in CO2 equivalent.
Over 250,000 farmers were trained on more regenerative agriculture practices in 2023-24. Analysis of the second year of a REEL Regenerative programme revealed 41% less GHG emissions compared with control farms.
CottonConnect has achieved its 2025 goal of 100% traceability of REEL Cotton and is on track to meet its 2030 environment and climate, and social goals.
Cotton procurement and processing of all REEL Cotton and REEL Regenerative programmes are traced through TraceBale, with 193,468 MT lint cotton being traced in 2023-24.
We aim to demonstrate that our work throughout the supply chain, from farmer upwards, positively contributes to our clients’ goals of reducing greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. The LCA results show a 35% saving potential in CO2 equivalent in the climate change impact category. The study, analysing data from multiple years, also revealed reductions in other environmental impact categories, including a 36% saving potential in water consumption, and 44% saving potential in phosphate, related to eutrophication.
In the cotton growing year 2023-24, the REEL Cotton programme continued to support farmers in reducing the use of water (21.9%), chemical fertilisers (17.5%), and chemical pesticides (21.4%), whilst increasing yields (6.1%) and profit (26.1%), compared with control farmers.
We trained over 250,000 farmers on more regenerative agriculture practices in 2023-24 and have been able to measure demonstrable positive outcomes from this farming system, including soil health improvements and greater biodiversity. In 2023-24, farmers in the second year of a REEL Regenerative programme reported a 4.8% increase in yield, 9.8% reduction in input cost, and 14% reduction in water use, compared with control farmers.
Results from organic cotton programmes illustrate the potential for farmers converting to organic farming practices to make profits by reducing input costs and gradually improving yields. A regenerative organic pilot showed that including training on regenerative practices adds additional benefits to organic cotton cultivation, including measures to improve soil health, and increased profits from additional crops.
Our focus on empowering women in cotton farming communities continues with our Women Climate Change Ambassadors programme. These change leaders have each trained 30 farmers each, imparting climate change mitigation knowledge to over 1,200 women, confirming the pilot’s training model.
During 2023-24, we expanded the Responsible Business for Gins programme to more gins and regions, including Türkiye, and strengthened second-party verification at gin level. The programme raises awareness among gin owners, supervisors, and workers about good health, safety, security, and environment practices, and environmentally sustainable operations.
Through our commitment to monitoring and evaluating our work, and sharing our findings, we aim to encourage other contributors in the textiles industry to collectively work on increasing responsible production of raw materials and supporting smallholder farmers to attain a resilient future.
