Last week in New Delhi, a remarkable cross-commodity collaboration unfolded at an event sponsored by Better Cotton. The event, titled "AgriClimate Nexus: Food, Fiber, and Regeneration for Sustainable Growth in India," aimed to foster unity and identify common opportunities among all stakeholders within India's vast agricultural community.
Participants included representatives from farming communities, the private sector, civil society, and the government, all converging to explore a sustainable and regenerative future for Indian agriculture. The objective was to harmonize efforts to safeguard the environment and enhance the livelihoods of the countless small farming communities involved in food and fiber crop production in India.
Better Cotton's Regenerative Agriculture Event in India
Hosted by Better Cotton, the world's largest cotton sustainability initiative, in partnership with IDH, the Sustainable Trade Initiative, the event aimed to build consensus on the merits of regenerative agriculture while pinpointing opportunities for action in policy, business, finance, and research. The discussions revolved around pressing issues in India, where 46 percent of the workforce is engaged in agriculture. These challenges included climate change and carbon sequestration, soil preservation, water scarcity, biodiversity loss, food security, greenhouse gas emissions, and ecosystem restoration.
Jyoti Narain Kapoor, Director of Better Cotton's India program, underscored the significance of taking meaningful steps to safeguard the future of Indian farmers, particularly those working on small plots as small as two hectares. Kapoor stressed that the widespread adoption of regenerative agricultural practices is crucial for the resilience of farming communities worldwide in the context of climate change. She highlighted the event's role in strengthening cross-commodity relationships and uniting organizations dedicated to this shared cause.
Significantly, close to one million Indian farms are licensed by Better Cotton, with Pramit Chanda, Global Director of Textiles and Manufacturing at IDH, underlining the objectives of the cross-commodity initiative. He expressed the aspiration to establish a dynamic, multi-sector network through the event, mobilizing stakeholders for a more sustainable and regenerative agricultural future in India, stressing the importance of each stakeholder group's active participation in achieving this vision.
Better Cotton's Vision for Regenerative Agriculture and Collaborative Leadership
Better Cotton's approach to regenerative agriculture is founded on the belief that farming should contribute to nature and society rather than deplete it. Their approach underscores the interconnectedness of sustainable farming and livelihoods while prioritizing the reduction of emissions and carbon sequestration.
Earlier this year, Better Cotton updated its Principles and Criteria, revising standards for regenerative practices, such as maximizing crop diversity, minimizing soil disturbance, and maximizing soil cover. The organization is also contemplating the addition of a license level dedicated to regenerative practices, which would create funding and market opportunities. They are actively seeking partners to drive change at the field level.
The 2030 Impact Targets unveiled by Better Cotton in April reiterate the organization's commitment to ensuring that 100 percent of participating farmers improve the health of their soil. Better Cotton and IDH will continue to lead the cross-commodity dialogue on regenerative agriculture, engaging input from the food and fashion industries, governments, civil society organizations, academia, and finance. This collaborative effort holds the promise of a more sustainable and regenerative future for Indian agriculture.