Environmental Impact of Cotton Cultivation and Use in India

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Environmental Impact of Cotton Cultivation and
Use in India
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Content

• Background and Need
• History of Cotton Production in India
• Characteristics of Cotton Produced
• Trade Scenario
• Factors Affecting Cotton Production
• Cotton Value Chain and Environmental Regulatory
  Framework in India
• Environmental Impacts of Cotton Production in
  India
• Way Forward

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Background and Need

• Cotton production contributes significantly to
  Indias economy
• Cotton Textiles account for 45 of all exports
  from India to the EU (WWF, 2007)
• Approximately 60 million people rely on cotton
  production and related industries for livelihoods
• Environmental sustainability issues are there in
  the entire cotton value chain
• Source WWF,2007.lthttp//assets.panda.org/download
  s/cotton_for_printing_long_report.pdfgt

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History of Cotton Production in India

• A principal cash crop grown in India
• Has the largest area, approximately 90 million
  hectares under cotton cultivation
• Until 2001, non-transgenic cotton seeds sown for
  cultivation
• Since 2002, farmers began sowing transgenic
  cotton seeds as well
• Has emerged as the number one cotton exporter and
  the number two cotton producer with the aid of
  technology

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Characteristics of Cotton Produced in India
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Cotton growing Zones in India 2008-09
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Adoption of Technology aided Cotton in India
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Cotton Hectarage, Production, and Yield in India
2001-2009
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Import and Export of Cotton in India
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Factors Affecting Cotton Yield in India

• Delayed Sowing
• Monsoon Dependence
• Poor Seed Quality
• Plant Protection
• Crop Management
• Source SINET.Indian Cotton Textile Sector
  Network Report.

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Cotton Value Chain

• Farmers Harvesters
• Ginners
• Spinners
• Weavers Knitters
• Manufacturers
• Retailers

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Environmental Regulatory Framework in India (1)

• Plant Protection against Pest and Diseases
• use of pesticides acceptable to prevent cotton
  plants from boll worm and other diseases
• Water (Prevention Control) ACT,1974
• fresh water must not get contaminated with
  pesticides and chemical fertilizers
• Source http//sjvn.nic.in/projects/environmental-
  regulations.pdf

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Environmental Regulatory Framework in India (2)

• Wildlife Protection ACT, 1972
• protection of wildlife that includes any
  animal, bees, butterflies, crustaceans, fish and
  moths and aquatic or land vegetation which forms
  part of any habitat
• thus, beneficial insects must remain unharmed
  with the use of pesticides
• Source http//sjvn.nic.in/projects/environmental-
  regulations.pdf

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Environmental Regulatory Framework in India (3)

• Ozone Depleting Substances (Regulation and
  Control) Rules, 2000
• control and regulation imposed on manufacturing,
  import, export, and use of ozone depleting
  substances
• hence, dyeing and printing chemicals must be free
  of ozone depleting substances
• Source http//sjvn.nic.in/projects/environmental-
  regulations.pdf

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Major Environmental Issues (1)

• Pest Management Issues
• 50 of all pesticides used in India go for cotton
  cultivation
• Part of them drain into freshwater systems
• Many species of beneficial insects, which help
  keep the insect/pest population in place, are
  killed by the heavy utilisation of pesticides
• Pesticides poisoning
• FAO reports 383 cases of pesticide poisoning in
  Andhra Pradesh in 2001
• Source WWF,2007.lthttp//assets.panda.org/download
  s/cotton_for_printing_long_report.pdfgt

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Major Environmental Issues (2)

• Water Pollution Management Issues
• Pesticides contaminate fresh water availability
• Unpredictable rainfall patterns have adversely
  affected rain-fed cotton cultivation in India
• Cotton farmers in India have relied on deep water
  drilling, resulting into water scarcity
• In 2001, 22 of 23 districts in Andhra Pradesh
  were declared under drought, affecting nearly two
  million hectares of cotton farmland and putting
  tremendous stress on farmers (WWF,2007)
• Source WWF,2007.lthttp//assets.panda.org/downloa
  ds/cotton_for_printing_long_report.pdfgt

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Major Environmental Issues (3)

• Soil Pollution
• Excessive use of pesticides and chemical
  fertilizers resulting in low/fluctuating yield
• Increased salinisation due to deep water drilling
  resulting in low/fluctuating yield

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Way Forward

• Indias average yield of 567kg/ha is far below
  than the United States average of 902 kg/ha
• Hence, upgrading cotton farming practices is
  essential to increase average yield per hectare
• Increase irrigation facility
• Use modern technology

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Continued

• Better on-farm management
• Ensure better seed quality
• Avoid freshwater contamination from the use of
  pesticides and chemical fertilizers
• Limit soil contamination from the use of
  pesticides
• Adopt better waste management practices

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• Thank You!