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quality

quality guides the work of Brazilian producers, researchers, and scientists

With studies and advances in technology, Brazilian cotton presents the necessary level of quality to meet production demands, besides being totally free from contamination and being grown in high-yield areas, ensuring year-round supply.

Brazilian cotton Quality indicators – 2020/2021

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Brazilian Cotton Quality Control Program

In 2016, Abrapa (Brazilian Cotton Growers Association) and its state member associations created the Brazilian Cotton Quality Control Program (SBRHVI) to standardize the instrumental classification of cotton by allowing digital access to cotton test data, and ensuring transparency and credibility to the country’s test results.

SBRHVI comprises a set of practices that promote quality standardization parameters and is based on three pillars:

  • Brazilian Reference Center for Cotton Testing (CBRA)

    It is the Central lab that monitors all the laboratories through the CBRA Cotton Check program, ensuring the classification processes standardization. CBRA is currently certified by ICA Bremen and accredited by NBR ISO / IEC 17025 high volume instruments analysis.

  • Brazilian Cotton Quality Database
    An intelligence hub that integrates cotton testing and classification data with the traceability system, and generates the information to be printed on the bar-code labels attached to the bales.

  • Guidance to participating laboratories
    Training, technical visits, and support for laboratories in Brazil to work at the same quality standards and in line with CBRA.

 

100% of Brazilian cotton is tested by high-volume instruments (HVI)

For visual and manual classification, two samples are collected from each bale – from opposite sides.

In the 2020/2021 crop, more than 12 million HVI tests are planned, performed by 67 machines in 11 Brazilian classing labs equipped to test 100% of the country’s production.

In the classing labs, there is a correct gauging of humidity and temperature for HVI testing and a double colorimeter is used in High Volume Instrument devices to increase the reliability of the reflectance and yellowness data.

the history


Brazilian cotton has a curious history of resilience and innovation. According to historical reports, local indigenous people used cotton fibers to produce yarns and rustic fabrics. But in 1750 the country discovered the commercial potential of its agricultural production and cotton became a sort of white gold for the domestic economy.

until the 1980s

Brazil was one of the world's largest producers and exporters of cotton.

late 1980s

early 1990s

The boll weevil spread across the fields destroying entire crops, causing families to lose everything and the Brazilian production to drop by more than 60%. This was one of the worst crises caused by a pest in cotton farming in the world.

late 1990s

Cotton crops are resumed and Abrapa (Brazilian Association of Cotton Growers) is created. The Association is responsible for uniting producers from all over Brazil.

2004

Creation of Abrapa's traceability system in which each Brazilian cotton bale carries a code with a unique numerical sequence that makes it possible to track bales and also bears the following identification information: grower, crop year, ginning plant, laboratory, and HVI test results.

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2005

Start of the sustainability pillar for Brazilian cotton, which since 2013 has worked in tandem with the Better Cotton Initiative (BCI). In 2020 Brazil became the first country in the world to also certify the Cotton Ginning Plants.

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2016

Development of the quality pillar based on monitoring programs for HVI laboratories, ensuring full transparency for the Brazilian cotton information.

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2020

Production in Brazil offers traceability, sustainability, quality, and year-round availability.

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