The Regenerative Cotton Standard by the Aid by Trade Foundation (AbTF), which was launched in Tanzania at the end of November 2023 and expanded to India in July last year, has delivered promising results in the Indian state of Maharashtra after the first harvest: higher crop yields, lower costs and increased awareness of regenerative agriculture could be observed.

“With its holistic approach and its focus on farmers’ experiences, the standard proves to be a winning proposition for everyone involved. The pilot project in India has impressively demonstrated its potential to be a real help for farmers in regenerating their depleted soils, increasing their incomes and finding a future in cotton cultivation despite the growing threat posed by climate change,” comments AbTF managing director Tina Stridde in a press release.

Participation of 5,000 farmers in over 70 villages

Around 5,000 farmers in over 70 villages in Maharashtra grew cotton according to the Regenerative Cotton Standard (RCS) last season, harvesting a total of approximately 4,400 tons of ginned RCS cotton. The farmers reported a 2 percent increase in yield compared to the previous harvest, while simultaneously reducing costs by 7 percent, resulting in higher net incomes for them.

Biochar was used to regenerate depleted soils. “Demonstration fields where biochar was tested, achieved a yield 15 percent higher than that of conventional cotton cultivation. At a more individual level, 90 percent of participants consider the new training methodology effective. Coming after the first harvest, the farmers’ positive feedback on RCS’s training methods and innovative approaches underscores the success the standard is having in India,” sums up AbTF.

Far-reaching measures

To ensure the successful implementation of the project, the local population was directly involved in the process. For example, through the involvement of local leaders, close collaboration with lead farmers and the establishment of farmer groups to ensure direct communication with the farming communities.

Targeted support for women, the creation of demonstration fields, workshops and training materials for the introduction of regenerative cultivation methods also helped to win over cotton farmers to the standard and its production methods, such as cover crop cultivation, crop rotation, soil conservation methods and organic nutrient management.

According to the organisation, numerous farmers attended the training sessions and experienced the effectiveness of the Regenerative Cotton Standard and its measures at Farmer Field Day events. Cotton supplier Vijay Cotton & Fibre, as a partner, tested the practicality and efficiency of the RCS together with the AbTF and provided over 40 agricultural consultants for this purpose.

Benefits for buyers

Buyers of RCS cotton also benefit from advantages, such as the transparent integration of RCS-verified cotton into the textile chain using the AbTF tracking system. This allows social and political demands for textile traceability from the field to the finished product to be met.

The pilot project launched in India in July 2024 will continue; in Tanzania, the first cotton cycle according to the RCS standard has already been successfully completed and is now entering its second season.