Spain’s national certification system wins Better Cotton approval
Sustainability initiative Better Cotton has launched a new strategic partnership in Spain at a multi-stakeholder event in Seville on September 26.
Cotton industry association (Espalgodon) and the regional government of Andalusia, Spain’s largest cotton-farming region, convened the meeting, with farmers, ginners and other industry representatives also participating.
Espalgodon, a coalition of three Spanish agricultural organisations, represents all cotton farmers in the country.
Better Cotton has worked with the regional government of Andalusia since 2021 to recognise its Integrated Production System (IPS) as Spain’s equivalent to the Better Cotton Standard System (BCSS). In practice, this will enable cotton produced on IPS licensed farms in Spain to be sold as Better Cotton.
By aligning with organisations active in Spain’s cotton sector, Better Cotton said it stands “to tap into existing networks and local expertise whilst avoiding duplication”.
Spanish cotton farmers are projected to produce around 64,000 tonnes of cotton in the 2023-2024 season. This would represent a decrease of 48% from the previous season. Better Cotton said this decline was because of “crop development issues exacerbated by drought”.
Better Cotton chief executive, Alan McClay, commented: “The impacts of climate change on Spain’s cotton crop are plain to see from the country’s projections for the 2023-2024 cotton season.
Espalgodon and the government of Andalusia have demonstrated their commitment to improving the sustainability credentials of domestically grown cotton, which can make farmers more resilient in the face of global warming.”
