BCI is pleased to announce the publication of our 2014 Harvest Report. The report details Better Cotton harvest data at global and field levels in 2014, and completes the second of two reporting phases for the year — the first being our Annual Report.
Important highlights include:
» 1.2 million farmers participated in BCI’s programme – up 79 percent from 2013.
» BCI farmers produced 2 million metric tonnes of Better Cotton lint – a 118 percent increase on the previous year.
» Better Cotton made up 7.6 percent of global cotton production.
» Better Cotton was grown in 20 countries worldwide, five more than in 2013.
» As an example of country results, Better Cotton farmers in Pakistan used 15% less pesticide, 19% less synthetic fertiliser, 18% less water and increased their profits by 46% as compared to comparison farmers.
We’re extremely proud of everything we achieved in 2014. Most notably the year’s results confirmed the underlying premise of our model: higher yields, reduced inputs of synthetic pesticides and fertilisers, resulting in much higher income for our farmers. As the 2015 season continues, we’re making strong progress towards establishing Better Cotton as a more sustainable mainstream commodity.
A note on timing: Better Cotton is sown and harvested in different annual cycles across the world, and when releasing data, we must first collect, check and collate information from every region. For this reason, our 2014 harvest data is ready for distribution late in the following year.
