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sustainability

Sustainable practices of Brazilian cotton

Sustainable practices of Brazilian cotton
verified/certified production clean energy Integrated Pest Management (IPM) land use efficiency smart farming transparency & traceability soil protection water conservation environmental conservation worker’s & farmer’s safety and wellbeing

verified/certified production

In addition to only 8% of the Brazilian fiber being cultivated using irrigation, there are projects for regional conservation of water resources - protection, preservation and recovery of riverheads, studies on silting up and contamination by chemicals – and specifics actions with the study’s results. Ex.: Project: recovery of river springs by rural producers.

clean energy

Brazil's electricity matrix is based in renewable sources. In 2020, renewable energy supplied 85% of the electricity sector demand and it is expected to reach 88% by 2030. This contributes to reduce the carbon footprint of the cotton supply chain in Brazil.

Integrated Pest Management (IPM)

Encouraging the use of biological pest and diseases control. The objective is to replace part of the chemical pesticides used. Other promoted techniques include: free-host period, biotechnology, mandatory crop calendar, biopesticides, insect traps and scouting, etc.

land use efficiency

In Brazil, cotton is produced mostly as a second crop. This is called “double cropping system” and means that once the raining season starts (Sep-Oct) farmers plant soybeans and only after the soybean harvest (Jan-Feb), cotton is seeded. 63% of all cotton production in Brazil is grown as a second crop. In other words, more than 1 million hectares of land are being spared, reducing land use change pressure and maximizing food and fiber production per hectare.

smart farming

Brazilian farmers are known for the high level of technology adoption in their farms. Smart and digital farming tools have been largely used in order to increase operational efficiency and reduce input use.

transparency & traceability

Each cotton bale produced in the country has a bale identification number that can be used to trace the bale back to the farm, farmer and cotton gin, using an online database. Abrapa has invested to bring certification and traceability with large financial investments.

soil protection

Encouraging the use of soil conservationist practices. Cover cropping, no-tillage and reduced tillage are widespread practices among Brazilian cotton growers. In combination with cover crops and crop rotation, these practices improve soil health and contribute to reducing GHG emissions.

water conservation

In addition to only 8% of the Brazilian fiber being cultivated using irrigation, there are projects for regional conservation of water resources - protection, preservation and recovery of riverheads, studies on silting up and contamination by chemicals – and specifics actions with the study’s results. Ex.: Project: recovery of river springs by rural producers.

environmental conservation

Regularization of environmental conservation areas, in line with the Brazilian Forest code, in all farms; Depending on where a farm is located, between 20% and 80% of the native vegetation of each farm must be preserved by the farmer as well as riparian forests along rivers and streams. Farmers are also engaged in the prevention of farm and wildfires, through the implementation of on farm fire brigades.

worker’s & farmer’s safety and wellbeing

Effective reduction of workers accidents due to the training actions implemented by the certification; Improvement of well-being and health of farm workers; Farm workers are also trained on the correct use of personal protective equipment (PPE) and other safety measures when handling crop protection products and farm equipment.

the largest producer of BCI cotton in the world

World leader in sustainable cotton production and licensed by the Better Cotton Initiative (BCI), Brazil is responsible for 42% of the world’s production approved by the Swiss NGO. The country has ranked number one in the world since 2013.

In the Brazilian protocol, 183 certification items are required by the country’s labor and environmental legislation, which is considered to be one of the most complete and rigid in the world.

 

Responsible Brazilian Cotton Program (ABR)

Created by Abrapa, the ABR program certifies farms that are committed to a strict protocol of good agricultural, environmental, social, and economic practices. The program has operated in tandem with the BCI since 2013, with both programs using unified protocols.

 

timeline

2005

 
 
Regional initiative in the state of Mato Grosso

2009

 
 
Certification program is implemented across the country

2012

 
 
Creation of a single protocol for the country (ABR – Responsible Brazilian Cotton)

2013

 
 
ABR unifies programs with the Better Cotton Initiative (BCI)

2020

 
 
Launch of the ABR-UBA program (Responsible Brazilian Cotton – Cotton Ginning Plant)

today

 
Record volume of certified cotton at 2.3 million tons

 

sustainability pillars

Buying Brazilian cotton means collaborating for a fairer and more balanced system of relationships between man, the economy and the environment. The ABR certification ensures respect for three essential pillars of sustainability:

environmental

Brazilian cotton preserves the environment: it does not contribute to deforestion, it promotes good agricultural practices and has an effective program for the intelligent use of water.

social

Production respects any and all systems involving companies and institutions, working for dignified and bilateral relations between all parties. Employees are valued and slave and child labor are fiercely fought.

economic

Production promotes fair economic practices and contributes to the development of its market ecosystem and of the country.

Under these pillars, eight evaluation criteria have been established:

1
employment contract
2
ban on child labor
3
ban on slave/slave-like work or work performed in degrading or undignified conditions
4
freedom to unionize
5
ban on discrimination
6
safety, occupational health, and the work environment
7
environmental performance
8
good agricultural practices

Criteria 2 and 3 entail mandatory compliance.

 

What does sustainable Brazilian cotton deliver?

92% does not use irrigation, grows on rainwater alone.
1st in yield without irrigation in the world.
varied production matrix

There is no monoculture. Cotton producers also grow soybeans, corn, millet, sorghum and other crops.
More than 80% of the Brazilian cotton production is certified with the best sustainability practices.
development and social transformation in communities
In 20 years, producing regions have moved from the very low to the high end of the MHDI range (Municipal Human Development Index). Comparative examples: Nova Mutum (Mato Grosso) jumped from 0.432 to 0.758, and Barreiras (Bahia) from 0.408 to 0.721 between 1991 and 2010.

 

certification

Certification is the result of three main steps:

  1. diagnosis of the production unit,
  2. correction of possible non-compliances and
  3. auditing. Farms and ginning plants are visited individually by third-party auditors* internationally recognized, every year.

The ABR, like the BCI, is based on the continuous improvement of good social, environmental, and economic practices in cotton production units.

* Certifying bodies licensed by Abrapa in the 2021/2022 crop: ABNT (Brazilian Association of Technical Standards), Bureau Veritas and GenesisGroup Certifications.

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.

an ancestral fiber 1500

Brazilian indigenous peoples knew and transformed cotton into threads and rustic fabrics even before the arrival of the Portuguese.

the era of "white gold" 1750

Lint production reached commercial levels and emerged as a promising economic activity for Colonial Brazil.

one of the largest cotton growers and exporters 1980

Brazil had remained relevant in the global cotton market. At the time the country’s Northeast region stood out, leading production.

the cotton bollweevil mid1980s

This small insect brought in from abroad devastated cotton fields, especially in the Northeast, destroying entire growing areas.

huge losses early1990s

In addition to the pest, changes in economic policies contributed to the reduction of more than 60% of the cotton acreage. 800,000 people were unemployed by 1995.

overcoming the challenges late1990s

Cotton farming was restored in Brazil through technology advances, and the crop migrated to the Brazilian Midwest, where the plant adapted to the soil and climate.

the Brazilian Cotton Growers Association (Abrapa) is founded 1999

The organization helped spread new farming techniques and good practices. The creation of Abrapa marks a new phase of prosperity and development for cotton.

creation of the Responsible Brazilian Cotton (ABR) socio-environmental certification 2012

Based on regional sustainability practices, a national protocol was established in 2012 for the socio-environmental certification of Brazilian cotton, the ABR..

today cotton is produced across various regions of the country

the biggest producing state are Mato Grosso & Bahia, which grows more than 90% of our fiber

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