Cotton sustainability initiative, Better Cotton has announced a strategic partnership with key stakeholders in Spain to produce Better Cotton-equivalent cotton in the country.
The Interprofessional Cotton Association (Espalgodon), the Regional Government of Andalucia, local cotton farmers, ginners, and industry representatives will be present at a multistakeholder event in Seville, Spain, to commemorate the partnership, according to Better Cotton.
All of Spain’s cotton growers are represented by Espalgodon, a coalition of three agricultural bodies, and are expected to produce about 64,000 tonnes of cotton in the 2023–2024 growing season.
Since 2021, Better Cotton has collaborated with Andalucia’s regional government to identify its Integrated Production System (IPS) as being similar to the Better Cotton Standard System (BCSS), which is the country’s primary cotton-growing region.
According to Better Cotton, crop development issues made worse by drought circumstances would cause the cotton season of 2023–2024 to see production decline by almost 48 per cent from the season before.
According to Better Cotton, the partnership’s alignment with Spain’s cotton sector institutions will enable it to utilise existing networks and regional know-how without duplicating efforts. Local cotton farmers receive the guarantee that their product complies with the widely accepted Better Cotton Standard System in exchange for this service.
Better Cotton CEO Alan McClay comments, “Espalgodon and the Regional Government of Andalucia have demonstrated their dedication to enhancing the sustainability of domestically grown cotton, thereby bolstering the resilience of local farmers in the face of global warming.”
