VF Foundation provides grant to support US Regenerative Cotton Fund

The grant supports long-term, regenerative cotton production in the US, with the goal of eliminating one million metric tons of carbon dioxide equivalent (CO2e) from the atmosphere by 2026, the foundation said in a press release.

“This initiative complements VF’s global sustainability efforts to advance regenerative agricultural practices as part of its roadmap to meet its science-based targets by taking a farmer-centric approach to scale these cotton growing practices and measure their impacts,” said Gloria Schoch, executive director, the VF Foundation, and senior director of global impact, VF Corporation.

In addition to supporting the USRCF, the VF Foundation is also helping to power the Soil Health Institute’s first internship class. The summer internship programme will engage undergraduate students studying at historically Black colleges and universities, fuelling greater diversity, equity, and inclusion in agriculture careers.

The VF Foundation’s seed funding directly contributes to the institute’s efforts in Texas, where approximately 60 per cent of US cotton is grown.

The foundation’s support helps establish farmer-to-farmer mentoring networks, conduct economic analysis of regenerative soil health systems, and establish soil health and soil carbon targets, so growers know how healthy their soils can become and how much carbon can be sequestered through these practices.

Fibre2Fashion News Desk (DP)