Solidaridad Asia and WWF-India have launched a new initiative, Regenagri Fast Track Cotton Initiative, that aims to bring regenerative farming to 1 million hectares of cotton farmland in India. Both call on the global fashion and textile industry, as well as aligned private sector partners and institutional funders, to join this initiative.
Cotton—A lifeline for the Indian economy
Cotton is cultivated in over 13 million hectares of India’s land, making it the world’s second-largest producer with an output of 29.5 million bales—almost a quarter of the global output. This crop is not just an agricultural staple; it forms the backbone of the country’s economy. India’s textile industry, deeply intertwined with cotton, contributes approximately 2.3 percent to the nation’s GDP. Given its significance, safeguarding the cotton sector is imperative for India.
The looming threat from changing environment
Climate change and intensive agricultural practices pose a severe threat to the foundations of India’s cotton sector. Smallholders, at the heart of it, bear the maximum brunt, in the face of lack of access to resources and knowledge to transition to climate-resilient agriculture.
The effect manifests in two primary, correlated dimensions: the erosion of livelihoods for small-scale farmers, and a reduction in crop yields (which carries broader repercussions for the nation’s textile sector and subsequently, the global supply chain as well). Intensive agricultural practices also pose an immediate threat to biodiversity, given the geographical proximity between cotton fields and Key Biodiversity Areas.
Why Regenerative Agriculture?
Regenerative agriculture significantly restores soil health, enhances the climate resilience of farmers, and can drive up their yields and incomes, while also enhancing biodiversity. In cotton farming, beneficial regenerative practices include intercropping, cover cropping, green manuring, mulching, and crop residue management, as well as promoting agroforestry within the prevailing agroecological context.
The Regenagri Fast Track Cotton Initiative: A game changer
Recognising the urgent need to make small cotton farmers in India climate resilient and prevent the erosion of their livelihoods, Solidaridad Asia and WWF-India have launched the Regenagri Fast Track Cotton Initiative to accelerate large-scale adoption of regenerative agriculture in the cotton sector. It aims to do so through a Regenerative Fast Track Cotton Fund with a target of €6 million, designed to make regenerative farming the new norm of sustainability in Indian cotton.
The Fund will deliver measurable outcomes at scale. These are:
- Bring regenerative farming to 1 million hectares of cotton farmland in India, establishing a globally significant supply of verified regenerative cotton.
- Sequester or avoid 1 million metric tonnes of CO₂ emissions while protecting biodiversity in cotton-growing landscapes, positioning cotton as part of the climate solution.
- Improve net income and climate resilience for 1 million smallholder farmers and farm workers in the cotton sector, demonstrating a scalable model for equitable, sustainable rural development.
-Facilitate sourcing 2 million tonnes of regenagri®-verified cotton by global markets, moving regenerative cotton from a niche to a mainstream commodity and stabilising demand for farmers.
The Regenagri Fast Track Cotton Initiative or RFTCI intends to create a virtuous cycle of improvement and trust by strengthening on-ground implementation to yield credible, verifiable regenerative cotton, which in turn will boost market confidence, unlock better rewards for farmers, and motivate widespread adoption.
“The RFTCI will focus on strengthening local institutions in regenerative cotton, creating opportunities for ecosystem services, generating value for smallholders and workers, and building market demand for regenagri-certified cotton,” said Shatadru Chattopadhyay, Managing Director, Solidaridad Asia.
Solidaridad Asia and WWF-India call on the global fashion and textile industry, as well as aligned private sector partners and philanthropies, to join the Fund and contribute to this initiative.
“Both organisations have set an ambitious goal that requires resources and a particular vehicle to accelerate transformation in India. The fast track fund will enable the fast track transformation, which will undoubtedly have an influence on resilience in communities to deal with the climate catastrophe and aid in the restoration of biodiversity in cotton production systems,” said Murli Dhar, Director – Sustainable Agriculture Program, WWF-India.
Franco Costantini, CEO of Regenagri says: “We celebrate Solidaridad and WWF’s commitment to making regenerative agriculture the norm for cotton grown in India and look forward to supporting this ambitious initiative.”
“This collaboration highlights the power of cross-organisational work to provide support, assurance, and impact for all stakeholders during their collective transition to regenerative agriculture.” Regenagri is the global leader in regenerative agriculture standards for cotton growers, and supports their transition to a better way of farming.