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2025: Cotton Sustainability and Current Trends

18 Jan '25
4 min read
2025: Cotton Sustainability and Current Trends
Pic: Adobe Stock

Insights

  • The global cotton industry faces sustainability challenges, including high water consumption, pesticide use, and environmental degradation.
  • Countries like Brazil, India, Pakistan, and Australia are advancing sustainable practices through certification programmes such as ABR, BCI, myBMP, and e3 Sustainable Cotton.
  • There is a global shift towards eco-friendly and ethical cotton production.
Cotton has long been a preferred raw material for manufacturing various textiles, including both intermediate products and finished goods. It is particularly favoured for apparel due to its breathability and durability, making it ideal for summer and tropical climates. However, concerns have been raised about the sustainability of cotton production. 

Cotton cultivation has several environmental drawbacks that make it unsustainable. It requires a significant amount of water—around 2,700 litres for a single T-shirt—placing immense pressure on water resources, especially in water-scarce regions. Additionally, cotton farming relies heavily on pesticides and fertilisers, leading to soil depletion and water pollution, harming ecosystems and posing health risks to agricultural workers. 

The widespread practice of monoculture farming, where cotton is repeatedly grown on the same land, reduces biodiversity and makes crops more susceptible to pests, further increasing chemical usage. These factors contribute to long-term environmental damage, underscoring the need for more sustainable farming practices. 

This article explores which countries are leading in sustainable cotton production and highlights key policies adopted by top-producing nations to improve cotton’s environmental and labour sustainability.

Current Top Cotton Producers

Table 1: Cotton and cotton exporting countries in the world (in %)

Source: ITC Trademap

Major cotton hubs are present across the globe, with China, the US, India, Brazil, and Pakistan being the leading contributors to both cotton production and exports. These countries not only dominate cotton cultivation but also lead in the export of cotton products, including yarn, fibre, and fabrics. 

China dominates the East Asian market, while the US remains the top exporter in North America. India plays a crucial role in Southeast Asia, whereas Brazil has a long-standing history as the primary exporter of cotton and cotton products in South America. Despite its geographical isolation, Australia ranks among the top 10 cotton exporters globally. 

Türkiye primarily caters to the developed European markets, while emerging players such as Uzbekistan, a Least Developed Country (LDC), highlight the increasing role of cotton exports in elevating LDCs in global trade.

Major Sustainable Cotton Exporting Countries and Their Status

Exhibit 2: Leading identity certifications for sustainable cotton and their current trends in CY 2022-2023 (in MT)

Source: ICAC Report

Data on cotton certification programmes reveals key trends in sustainability across various regions. The Better Cotton Initiative (BCI) remains the largest global programme, despite a slight dip in 2022-2023, maintaining strong adoption in India, Pakistan, and Brazil. 

In Brazil, the Responsible Brazilian Cotton (ABR) programme has seen significant growth, increasing from 1,970,000 MT to 2,550,000 MT in just three years, reflecting the country’s strong commitment to sustainable cotton practices. 

Australia’s myBMP programme has remained stable at 410,000-420,000 MT, underscoring a consistent focus on sustainability in Australian cotton farming. However, Cotton Made in Africa (CMiA) experienced a decline from 677,000 MT to 508,000 MT, highlighting challenges in expanding sustainable cotton production. Meanwhile, Organic Cotton certification has remained steady at 342,000 MT, indicating consistent demand for organic cotton products. 

The e3 Sustainable Cotton Programme by BASF recorded modest growth, reinforcing the role of corporate-driven sustainability initiatives. The REEL Cotton programme and the US Cotton Trust Protocol showed varying trends, with the latter reflecting a growing emphasis on sustainable practices in the US cotton industry. 

These certifications highlight how different countries are prioritising sustainable cotton production, with Brazil emerging as a leader, India and Pakistan continuing to rely on BCI, and Australia maintaining consistency in its sustainability efforts.

Conclusion

While cotton remains a vital raw material for textiles, its sustainability challenges—particularly concerning water consumption, pesticide dependence, and environmental degradation—require urgent attention. However, several major cotton-producing countries are making significant strides towards more sustainable practices.

Brazil leads the way with the increasing adoption of the Responsible Brazilian Cotton (ABR) programme, while India and Pakistan continue to rely on the Better Cotton Initiative (BCI). Australia maintains steady progress through its myBMP programme, and corporate-driven efforts such as BASF’s e3 Sustainable Cotton Programme are gaining momentum.

These initiatives underscore a global shift towards sustainable cotton production, driven by governmental policies and corporate commitments aimed at addressing both environmental and social concerns in the industry.

Fibre2Fashion News Desk (NS)

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