Partnerships Being Formed for Sustainable Cotton Production

The textile and apparel sectors, which generate annual economic output of USD 60 billion and earn Turkey over USD 25 billion in foreign currency each year, are seeing rising demand for sustainable cotton aligned with consumer preferences.

  The Better Cotton Practices Association (IPUD), which promotes sustainable cotton production in Turkey and delivers shared benefits for stakeholders, has continued its activities since 2013 to advance the Better Cotton Standard in Turkey. Leon Piçon, Chairman of the Better Cotton Practices Association, noted that they are responsible for implementing the Better Cotton Standard in Turkey. Beyond this responsibility, he said they carry out various projects and collaborations on different topics in different regions to remove obstacles to environmental, economic and social sustainability in cotton production. Piçon stated, "As IPUD, we have also launched a project collaboration with the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) this year." Piçon emphasized that within the framework of the EBRD and IPUD collaboration, they aim to strengthen and expand the implementation of the Better Cotton Standard in Turkey, and continued his remarks as follows: "Within the project scope, during the 2021 cotton production season, we will conduct activities across six main categories targeting farmers engaged in Better Cotton standard production, implementation partners playing important roles in this process, their agricultural engineers, and cotton ginning mills processing Better Cotton. Pilot studies will be conducted on four plots on subjects including fertilization based on soil analysis results, reducing pesticide use through trap cropping, soil moisture monitoring and optimizing irrigation amounts, and proper application of harvest aid chemicals. The pilots will be supported by innovative and smart farming methods such as a climate station to be established and an early warning system. Technical training materials on sustainable cotton production will be prepared for farmers in the Better Cotton system, and agricultural engineers providing technical support to farmers will be trained on sustainable cotton production. Local Better Cotton implementation partners will receive technical support on mapping natural resources (water, soil, biodiversity) and designing continuous improvement plans. Better Cotton ginning mills will receive training on fiber quality, occupational health and safety, traceability, and process management, and one-on-one technical support and consulting will be provided to a total of ten ginning mills. Additionally, an information technology research will be conducted on digital solutions in field data collection and mapping."  

Better Cotton standard essential for sustainable exports

Leon Piçon, IPUD Board Chairman, noted that Better Cotton production in Turkey during the 2020-21 cotton season represented approximately 10% of total production, and stated: "Through this project covering every stage of the Better Cotton Standard, we aim to deepen and expand our field applications further. Suppliers' demands for Better Cotton are rising every day in textile and apparel exports. Within the framework of the EU Green Deal, the objective is to achieve carbon neutrality by 2050. Starting from 2022, carbon tariffs on export products will come into play. We must also prepare ourselves for this process."   Piçon noted that the collaboration with the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) will also contribute to sustainable production practices in the Turkish cotton, textile and apparel sectors, and concluded with the statement: "Brands' purchasing preferences favor cotton produced to sustainable standards. We continue our efforts to expand sustainable cotton production in our country both for its environmental, economic and social contribution and to reduce the foreign dependency of Turkish industry."