‘Better Cotton’ is a Must for Sustainable Exports

Leon Piçon, President of the Better Cotton Practices Association

The Better Cotton Practices Association (IPUD), which serves to provide common benefits for the relevant parties by expanding sustainable cotton production in Turkey, has been continuing its activities for the development of the Better Cotton Standard in Turkey since 2013.

Leon Piçon, President of the Better Cotton Practices Association, stated that their institution is responsible for the execution of the Better Cotton Standard in Turkey, and indicated that in addition to this responsibility, they carried out projects and collaborations on various issues in different regions in order to remove the obstacles to environmental, economic, and social sustainability in cotton production. Piçon expressed, ‘‘As IPUD, we started a project in cooperation with the European Investment and Development Bank (EBRD) this year as well.’’

Piçon, furthermore, continued his statements as follows, ‘‘Within the scope of the project, in the 2021 cotton production season, we will carry out the activities targeting the farmers producing in the Better Cotton standard, the application partners who undertake important tasks in this process, their agricultural engineers, and the ginning enterprises that process the Better Cotton under six main headings. Pilot studies will be performed on four lands, on fertilization based on the results of soil analysis, on reducing pesticide use by planting trap plants, on optimizing the amount of irrigation by monitoring soil moisture, and on the correct application of auxiliary chemicals during the harvest. Pilot studies will be supported by innovative and smart farming methods such as the climate station and early warning system that are to be established. Technical training materials on sustainable cotton production will be prepared for farmers in the Better Cotton system, and agricultural engineers who provide technical support to the farmers will be trained on sustainable cotton production. Local Better Cotton implementation partners will be technically assisted in mapping natural resources (water, soil, biodiversity) and designing a continuous improvement plan. The ginning enterprises in Better Cotton processing will be trained on fiber quality, occupational health, and safety, traceability, process management. Moreover, one-on-one technical support and consultancy will be provided to a total of ten ginning facilities. Along with it, a research study based on information technology will be conducted on digital solutions for data collection and mapping in the field.’’

Suppliers’ Demand for ‘Better Cotton’ is Increasing Everyday

Indicating that Better Cotton production in Turkey in the 2020-21 cotton season is approximately 10% of the total production, IPUD President Leon Piçon said, “The demands of suppliers for Better Cotton in textile and ready-to-wear exports are increasing day by day. The purchasing preferences of the brands are in favor of cotton produced in sustainable standards. We continue our efforts to expand sustainable cotton production in our country, both due to its environmental, economic and social contribution, and to reduce the foreign dependency of the Turkish industrialists. The European Union aims to reduce its carbon emissions to zero by 2050 within the framework of the Green Deal. As of 2022, a carbon tax will be on the agenda for export products. Therefore, we also need to prepare ourselves for these developments.”