Hammad Naqi Khan

Director – Freshwater & Toxics Programme

WWF - Pakistan

www.panda.org/freshwater

Sustainable Cotton:

Making it cleaner and greener

Vijverberg sessieNovember 12, 2008The Hague, Netherlands

Outline

• Introduction• Cotton and Water• Sustainable Cotton Production• Addressing the Challenges

• Roles & Responsibilities of Brands, Suppliers and Farmers

What is WWF?

• Largest independent environmental NGO

• Science & solution based• US$ 500 million annual

income• Approx. 5000 staff worldwide• Projects in +/- 100 countries• Approx. 5 million supporters

WWF’s Priorities

Global Programs Priority Regions

GLOBAL 200 ECOREGIONS

FRESHWATER

OCEANS & COASTS

SPECIES

TOXICS

CLIMATECHANGE

FORESTS

Our blue planet ……..… is getting redder

•Irrigation accounts for 2/3 of water use worldwide and as much as 90% in many developing countries•About 40% of the world's food is grown in irrigated soils, which make up 18% of global cropland.

Some Agriculture Realities..

• Global food demand will double in 50 years• Increased income (globally 2.4 times by 2050) will lead

to increased consumption• Per capita arable land globally is decreasing• Intensification and efficiency will be key • Biofuels compete with food and fiber for land• 3-4% increase per year in cotton demand (2 billion

kg/year)

Cotton: a global crop

Cotton: a global crop

• Produced in 90 countries (approx.)• 80% developing nations• 35 million Ha of land under cotton (2.5% of cropland)

• World production & consumption: ~25 MT/ year- 8 countries grow 85% of all cotton- 30-35% of primary production traded internationally yearly

• - Finished products go to every country

• Vital to the economies and people of many developing countries- e.g. C.Asia, West Africa, Pakistan

Cotton and development

• More than 90% of cotton farmers live in developing countries

• Vast majority are poor, small-holders (<2ha)• Cotton is often only cash crop• Cotton is often only source of credit• Poverty, debt and crisis are only one crop failure away for

farmers

ISSUES

• Water

• Pesticides

• Social issues

• GMO

Cotton growth to productionWater Losses

• First / agricultural stage: Cotton production at field level• evaporation of infiltrated rainwater

for cotton growth (green water use),• withdrawal of ground or surface

water for irrigation (blue water use),• water pollution due to the leaching

& run off of fertilizers and pesticides

• Second / industrial stage : Processing of seed cotton into final cotton products• Abstraction of process water from

surface or ground water,• Pollution of water as a result of the

waste flows from cotton processing industries

Global Water Use in Cotton Production

Global Average Lowest Highest

Seed Cotton 3,544 l/kg (I & R)

1,818 l/kg (I only)

2,018 l/kg (China)

46 l/kg (Brazil)

8,663 l/kg (India)

5,602 l/kg (Turkm)

Cotton Lint 8,506 l/kg (I & R)

4,242 (I only)

4,710 l/kg (China)

107 l/kg (Brazil)

20,217 l/kg (India)

13,077 l/kg (Turkm)

Final Textile 9,359 l/kg (I & R)

4,917 l/kg (I only)

5,404 l/kg (China)

608 l/kg (Brazil)

21,563 l/kg (India)

14,122 l/kg (Turkm)

UNESCO-IHE (Institute for Water Education), Water Footprint of Cotton Consumption. From Tables 3.4 and 3.5. 2005

Area and Textile Growth in Pakistan

Sr.No. Particulars 2004-2005

1. Area (Ml.ha.) 3.229

2. Production (Ml.ha.) 14.600

3. Yield (Kg./ha.) 769

4. Ginneries 1200

5. Textile Mills 458

6. Mill Consumption (Ml.bales)

12.50

7. Yarn Production (Ml.Kg.) 2290

8. Cloth Production (Ml.Sq.Mtr.)

915

Pakistan Cotton Project & its linkages with Better Cotton

Initiative (BCI)

Methodology

1. Research

• BMPs collated and tested

• Access to financing options / micro credit

• Gap analysis of the Policy framework

2. Farm level implementation

• TOF and FTOF: Training of facilitators and Farmers Training of Facilitators

• FFS( Farmer Field School): A process of discovery based learning/teaching with participatory approach

• FO (Farmer Organization) Capacity building of existing and/ or new FOs for the adoption and promotion of BMPs to educate the farming communities

3. Foundation for an enabling environment

• National Agricultural related policy review• Influencing private sector support• Links with International initiatives to define ‘Better’ Standards

Farmer training:400+ Farmer Field Schools established In cotton growing areas…

.…and 10000 farmers trained

Pakistan Sustainable Cotton Initiative30% reduction in

fertiliser use

Better farming practices for cotton

23% reduction in irrigation water

60% reduction in pesticides

FTOF

• Five photos

Gross margins have increased

Health has improved from reduced pesticides and increased awareness

“Before we understood the impact of pesticides we thought our children got sick for superstitious reasons – like we had done something wrong. Now we know if it is a pesticide problem and take our children to the doctor”

Private sector support

More than 240,000 kg of “better” cotton was purchased by a local miller in 2006

IKEA is supporting the development of better practices in cotton production

The Better Cotton Initiative (BCI) is testing their sustainability standards with WWF in Pakistan

Better Irrigation Practices

Bed and Furrow Irrigation

Laser Land Leveler

Right: Alternate Row Irrigation

Water Saving due to Better Irrigation Practices

• Bed and furrow technique: 27-33%

• Laser leveller: 33-37%

• Alternate row irrigation: 22-31%

• Water scouting: 16-24%

The Way Forward……

• Three main drivers:1. supply chain security,

2. reputation risk and

3. consumer markets

• Brands/Retailers should/can• build integrated supply chains

• promote an industry standard for sustainable cotton by supporting BCI

• exert pressure on suppliers by actively demanding better cotton

• provide easily accessible product information to consumers.

• support projects which assist farmers in making the shift to sustainable seed cotton production

http://www.fao.org/prods/GAP/DOCS/DOC/BusinessCase_RdeMan_English.doc

Brands/Retailers

Suppliers

• Ensure that environmental concerns are playing an increasing role in supply chain management.

• Should understand that cotton grown through BMPs is more profitable for the farmers through direct contact with farmers and Ginners (no third party involvement).

• Institutional support to promote sustainable cotton production and development of Better/sustainable cotton standards.

• Implementation of BMPs in their farms.

• Influence and promote BMPs in their sourcing area.

• Organize themselves & participate in community run programs

• Be innovative, do experimentation, informed decision-making

• Switch from conventional to sustainable better cotton practices

• Build networks with research organizations and any local organizations that work towards sustainable farm practices

What can Farmers do?

Thank you!

freshwater