AGROcotton: Agroforestry potential to grow sustainable cotton for the fashion industry

• Brazil is a major global producer of cotton. However, the detrimental impacts of an expansion of conventional cotton production are considered unsustainable and inadequate, particularly in the context of climate change and economic empowerment among marginalised farming communities
• Organic cotton production is a more sustainable alternative than conventional cotton and its introduction in agroforestry systems represent a more innovative pathway towards increased sustainability in both agriculture and fashion
• Despite this, organic cotton represents only 0.01% of the Brazilian market, while agroforestry-based cotton production is minimal
• This is attributed to a lack of policy instruments, financial resources, consumer and company awareness, economic planning and management specifically adapted for different conditions, limited access to knowledge and technical assistance on management practices, and difficulties in accessing production inputs

To facilitate the expansion of OAC in Brazil, AGROcotton has directly impacted more than 60 farmer families through in-person and virtual capacity building events run by expert technicians. These have embedded the importance of OAC farming and regenerative methods of production for food and textile fibres, instilling cultural transformation in a region known for unsustainable farming practices.

Key project outputs included:

• A spatial analysis of land suitability and potentials of OAC in Brazil
• Sessions in Mato Grosso to enhance the capacity of small-scale farmers to implement OAC systems by upskilling them on financial, management and agricultural practices
• Implementation of OAC pilot cases in the region, carrying out environmental assessments and socio-economic and financial analyses on the data collected
• Development of AGROcotton guidelines for OAC to facilitate the replicability of OAC products, based on the analyses on and lessons learnt from the Mato Grosso pilot
• Market analysis through characterising the potential OAC market in Brazil; mapping supply chain actors and drivers, considering prices, willingness to pay and the importance of traceability and certification
• Policy analysis and recommendations based on an analysis of existing policies in agriculture and forestry and expert interviews
• Dissemination and communication activities to support the promotion of key project outputs, including the establishment of a national stakeholder database for Brazil
• AGROcotton partnered with EMPAER (Mato Grosso Research Company for Technical Assistance and Rural Extension) to enhance the project’s ability to recruit and train local family farmers. The technicians will continue working with the farmers beyond this pilot.

The primary counterparts of AGROcotton are vulnerable farmers in Brazil. These farmers have faced a number of barriers to effective participation in organic agroforestry such as limited access to credit, insecure land tenure and underdeveloped agroforestry value chains.

AGROcotton sought to build assets, capabilities and opportunities for vulnerable family farmers, removing these barriers. The project engaged over 60 families in training activities in Mato Grosso and 31 families in pilot cases for the cultivation of OAC. The family farmers involved in the project were classified as vulnerable farmers due to their socio-economic conditions including gender, ethnicity, land tenure security, and size of property.

Key GESI-related activities and related outcomes include:

• Promotion of the empowerment of these farmers by providing OAC training and practical experience through the pilot cases. The pilot cases provided the opportunity for farmers to develop the skills and knowhow required to successfully design and manage a OAC project
• Project activities provided vulnerable family farmers with technical support, agricultural inputs and access to cotton markets
• Farmers learned how to manage an agroforestry system which will provide food, material and cotton. The cotton will function as cash crop to support the farmers in the first 4-5 years until fruit trees start producing
• Training of technicians working with the extension service agency (EMPAER) in Mato Grosso will engage family farmers beyond those involved in the pilot studies. Trained technicians will be able to support vulnerable family farmers interested in OAC by providing technical assistance and management support. Technicians have also expressed intention to introduce OAC on their own land

The project has directly supported vulnerable farmers in Brazil and promoted the introduction of OAC. In doing so the project has identified several lessons and recommendations:

• The alliance formed with local government teams and associations should help streamlining future planning and execution and facilitate future activities
• Cultural challenges, related to the farmers' beliefs and long-term experience with conventional/non-organic agriculture, were overcome with capacity building and training programmes. The team saw exponential improvement during the last months, as systems have started to be productive
• Development of supportive institutional framework and functional market mechanisms for OAC is needed
• Future environmental assessment work should focus on evaluating biodiversity, monitoring, and collecting data from the OAC plantations and local food producers
• Policies that promote GESI are needed, considering the number of women involved in the OAC activities, alongside encouraging the adoption of the Participatory Guarantee Systems (PGS) certification that promotes the participation of women