Primark’s Sustainable Cotton Programme boosts profits for smallholder farmers

By

Barbara Santamaria

Published
Feb 14, 2017

Primark has released new results revealing the impact of its Sustainable Cotton Programme, which aims to introduce sustainable farming methods so that smallholders can improve their livelihoods through increased income.

A three year pilot in Gujarat India trained 1,251 women smallholders, who saw an average profit increase of 247% in the third year of the programme. The additional income was used by many to invest in farm and home improvements, healthcare and education for their children.

The female farmers also saw a reduction of input costs by 19.2%, for example by reducing chemical pesticide and fertiliser usage, buying seeds collectively with other farmers and a reduction in additional labour costs.

The programme also recorded a 40% reduction in the use of chemical fertiliser and a 44% reduction of chemical pesticide usage, as well as a 10% decrease of water usage. This revealed that sustainable practices were being adopted.

“Primark’s long-term ambition is to ensure all the cotton in our supply chain is sourced sustainably,” said Katharine Stewart, Ethical Trade and Environmental Sustainability Director at Primark.

“We knew that to have maximum impact, the programme needed to be delivered by experts on the ground with local knowledge and expertise to engage with smallholders and their families. In doing so it has shown that sustainable farming methods are good for the environment and farmers’ incomes. But more than that, this programme has improved lives.”

The programme targets female farmers because, despite women playing a crucial role in cotton planting and hand-picking, the average income for women in rural India is just 78% of men’s. In addition, India currently ranks at 130 out of 188 countries in the UN’s Gender Inequality Index.

India is the world’s second largest producer of cotton after China.

In total, 1,251 farmers participated in the first three years of the Sustainable Cotton Programme and Primark extended the scheme in 2016 to reach an extra 10,000 farmers over a six-year period.