Evaluating the environmental impact of Fairtrade certified cotton in India

The study, conducted by researchers at the Global Agrisystem, and funded by the European Commission (EC) through the Switch-Asia project called "Switching to Green and Fair Fashion," assessed the environmental impact of cotton farming by Fairtrade certified farmers in the Indian states of Gujarat, Telangana, Madhya Pradesh, Punjab, Odisha, and Tamil Nadu. Indicators from the Delta Framework were selected for analysis, including pesticide use, water management, chemical fertiliser use, and greenhouse gas emissions, among others. Researchers divided the farms into four groups: 1) Fairtrade and organic certified farms plus Fairtrade farms in conversion to organic (referred to as “FOIC”); 2) Fairtrade and organic certified farms only; 3) non-Fairtrade farms whether using conventional or organic farming methods (“control”); 4) non-Fairtrade farms only practicing conventional farming methods (“control conventional”). Key findings include: 1. 96% of Fairtrade organic and in-conversion farmers avoid chemical pesticide use altogether, as compared with 60% of non-Fairtrade conventional farmers. 2. Fairtrade organic and in-conversion farmers have 20% higher water productivity rate than either group of non-Fairtrade farmers, and they have a 14% smaller water footprint than non-Fairtrade conventional farmers. 3. Only 5% of Fairtrade organic and in-conversion farmers use synthetic nitrogenous fertilisers, compared to 91% of conventional farmers. 4. Fairtrade organic cotton generated 45% less greenhouse gas emissions than non-Fairtrade cotton grown with either organic or conventional methods. 5. Fairtrade organic farmers achieved 13% higher average cotton lint yields compared to non-Fairtrade average from either organic or conventional production. 6. Fairtrade organic farmers earned 4.8% more on average than non-Fairtrade conventional farmers. The study concludes that "regardless of changing demographics and agro-climatic conditions, the recommended cotton cultivation practices under Fairtrade and organic standards yield overall positive impacts for both farmers and the ecosystem."