Sustainable agriculture is one that produces abundant food without depleting the earth’s resources or polluting its environment.Cotton and The Environment
Sustainable agriculture is one that produces abundant food without depleting the earth’s resources or polluting its environment. While Cotton Incorporated and the cotton industry envisions a future where environmentally sustainable production and manufacturing will thrive along with the businesses that depend on cotton as a source of income, cotton farmers are fighting for survival – which is driving their decision process concerning inputs and practices, such as weed control system, seed-applied vs. in-furrow pest control, etc. Modern technologies for nutrient and pest management, irrigation and tillage methods, and harvest practices have improved the conservation of the natural resources – soil and water – while protecting air quality and improving energy efficiency.
• About Sustainability The cotton industry today is well on its way to fulfilling one of the most important goals all industries must strive for – sustainability.
• Cotton and Natural Resources With virtually all of the world's arable land already under cultivation, clothing the earth's people with natural fiber textiles in 2050 means fiber production on existing farmlands must triple.
• Soil According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), total soil loss on cultivated cropland across the country decreased by nearly 40 percent from 1982 to 2003.
• Cotton and Water As a highly drought-tolerant plant, cotton has largely thrived without irrigation – just the water of natural rainfall – and most new irrigation systems and strategies used today in the U.S. specifically are substantially more water efficient than previous decades.
• Impact on Habitat & Biodiversity Modern technology has enabled increased efficiency in cotton production. Specifically, 50% more cotton is produced worldwide today on the same amount of land as compared to 40 some years ago.
• Air Quality Improving air quality is a continuous focus area for the U.S. cotton industry. Reduced tillage practices now in place reduce dust emissions from the field, and many air quality controls are practiced at cotton gins.
• Energy The tremendous gain in production efficiency from modern technology allows cotton growers to produce almost two times more cotton worldwide now than in the 1960s on essentially the same amount of land, resulting in more cotton out for the energy put in.
