Cotton Australia unveils 2019 sustainability report

“The report is an important step towards the industry’s aim of being a global leader in sustainable cotton production. Australian cotton growers have been quietly improving their sustainability for decades and should take a moment to celebrate the industry’s collective achievements that are shown in the report. Having said that, the report also highlights areas the industry can do better in, such as the need to make greater efforts to reduce carbon emissions, improve nitrogen use efficiency, increase on-farm carbon sequestration in soil and native vegetation, and improve farm safety,” Cotton Australia CEO Adam Kay said in a press release.

“The industry will now use report data to set five-year targets for 2024 and 2029, and plans to achieve those targets. To be a global leader in sustainable cotton production, we need to set bold targets, ensure our research and adoption program can get us to those targets, and frequently and transparently share progress with stakeholders. We will be consulting with growers and other stakeholders inside and outside the industry on setting the right level of ambition in our sustainability targets. The industry can point to long-term trends of significant improvement in areas it has focused on in the past, and we will draw on this experience to transform our performance in other areas in the future,” Cotton Research and Development Corporation general manager, R&D investment, Allan Williams.

The 2019 Australian cotton sustainability report is part of the industry’s new PLANET. PEOPLE. PADDOCK. sustainability framework, which guides the industry to set ambitious targets, coordinate a whole-of-industry strategy to achieve these targets, and engage effectively with stakeholders on actions and progress.

Fibre2Fashion News Desk (GK)