Nationwide partnership advances regenerative cotton

A nationwide partnership led by the Soil Health Institute’s United States Regenerative Cotton Fund (USRCF) is propelling sustainable cotton farming in the U.S.

Currently, over 1,000 cotton farmers and advisors are engaged in the effort to adopt soil health management systems, the foundation of regenerative agriculture.

“The soil health benchmarks SHI is providing are a great way to help farmers set realistic soil health goals and measure their success,” said fifth-generation cotton farmer Zeb Winslow.

Launched in 2021, USRCF’s goal is eliminating one million metric tons of carbon dioxide equivalent from the atmosphere by 2026. Alabama, Arkansas, California, Georgia, Mississippi, Missouri, North Carolina, Oklahoma, South Carolina, and Texas are participating in the project.

Success has been achieved in:

• Economic Insights: 19 farms implementing soil health management systems reduced production costs by an average of $53 per acre, boosting net farm income by $150 per acre, on average.
• Soil Health Measurements:Benchmarks from over 2 million acres in Texas and Arkansas have empowered farmers to set science- and place-based soil health goals for their farms.
• Experiential Learning for a Resilient Future: Eleven interns from Historically Black Colleges and Universities received first-hand experience.
• Farmer Education: USRCF organized over 25 field demonstrations and workshops to assist more than 1,300 farmers and advisors across seven states to improve soil health.

The Ralph Lauren Corporate Foundation, Walmart, and Levi Strauss & Co. are among the fund’s supporters.

To learn about the U.S. Regenerative Cotton Fund, visit  https://soilhealthinstitute.org/our-work/initiatives/us-regenerative-cotton-fund.

Organic & Non-GMO Insights August 2024