” We need to promote economically efficient and environmentally friendly solutions for agriculture production in the country. ” they suggested.
” There is an urgent need to introduce innovative and better management practices to improve production and the income generation capacity of farmers’. They stated.
Speaking on the occasion, Dr Masood Arshad, Senior Director Footprint, WWF-Pakistan said that Pakistan is the fifth-largest producer of cotton in the world and has the third-largest cotton spinning capacity in Asia, after China and India.
He added that with thousands of ginning and spinning units producing textile products from cotton, it is the major source of income for many farmers across Pakistan.
He explained that WWF-Pakistan is promoting organic cotton with sustainable practices, which has resulted in a 22 percent reduction in pesticides, 12 percent reduction in the use of irrigation water and 19 percent reduction in the use of synthetic fertilizer, which ultimately reduces the per unit greenhouse gas emissions at the farm level, compared to cotton produced by non-participating farmers.
‘This has helped empower disadvantaged groups in the society who largely depend on cotton production’, Dr Arshad noted.
Syed Habib Shah, FP-DAE, Balochistan said “We, in collaboration with WWF-Pakistan, are highly enthusiastic to promote organic cotton production and ensure its certification under the global organic standards.
He maintained that Balochistan holds huge potential for organic farming and with joint efforts and some needed developments, we can earn a sizable benefit for the farming community and the country’s economy.
Asad Imran, Director Food and Markets, WWF-Pakistan said that organisation strives to ensure sustainable production of cotton and reduce its negative impact on soil health, biodiversity and freshwater resources.
He informed that WWF-Pakistan is a pioneer in organic cotton cultivation and certification, and this was made possible with the generous financial support of Laudes Foundation as well as the support of the Department of Agriculture Extension Balochistan.
He appreciated the interest of C&A and local textile groups in funding and sourcing organic cotton in Pakistan.
During the workshop, Hafiz Muhammad Bakhsh, Manager, WWF-Pakistan gave the participants a complete orientation on organic cotton farming and the standard requirements for organic certification.
He emphasised that serious efforts are needed to develop the supply chain of bio inputs, particularly non-GM seeds, which is the fundamental requirement for organic cotton cultivation and certification. He added that we can contribute a big share of organic cotton in the world apparel industry if we ensure production and availability of non-GM cotton seeds and other bio-inputs.
While commenting on the event, the representatives of different textile groups acknowledged the efforts of WWF-Pakistan, the Department of Agriculture, Balochistan, and Laudes Foundation, which have collectively laid the foundation of organic cotton cultivation in Pakistan. They said that there is a high demand of certified organic cotton and the local textile groups are aligned to feed the global cotton market with the certified organic cotton sourced from Pakistan.
The traditional methods of cotton production use excessive water, fertilisers and pesticides which negatively impact our environment and contribute to pollution. It is also putting pressure on freshwater resources.
To address this, WWF-Pakistan is building the capacity of farmers on sustainable cotton production as per the Better Cotton Initiative and Organic Cotton Standard System in some districts of Punjab, Sindh and Balochistan. WWF-Pakistan is working with more than 226,000 farmers across Pakistan.
The event was organized by Sawie, a climate-smart agriculture digital platform providing real-time advisories, and the country’s ace cotton research body Pakistan Central Cotton Committee (PCCC) on Aug 31 at Central Cotton Research Institute (CCRI) Multan, CCRI spokesman said on Saturday.
The 2nd Annual SAWiE Conference on Organic Cotton Pakistan was themed around knowledge dissemination and best practices sharing and it attracted a diverse audience including policymakers, industry experts, farmers, and researchers.
It sought to bridge gaps and promote collaboration across the organic cotton value chain, fostering a holistic approach.
Dr Khalid Mahmood from SAWIE and Prof Dr Rana Iqrar Khan, Vice Chancellor University of Agriculture Faisalabad opened the conference and emphasized the need to improve soil health through improving organic matter.
Dr Yusuf Zafar, the former Chairman of PARC and CABI, highlighted Pakistan’s immense potential in the organic cotton sector.
Citing the findings of a Textile Exchange report, he said, “Pakistan has the capacity to achieve a staggering 405% growth in organic cotton production.”
“This numerical potential, however, needs to be translated into actionable initiatives,” he said and stressed the need for synergy among all stakeholders to harness this potential.
He said Pakistan was on the cusp of creating standards and certifications that align with organic cotton production.
Secretary PCCC Dr Tassawar Hussain appreciated the efforts of key players especially WWF and the Balochistan agriculture department for the promotion of Organic cotton in Pakistan and offered all possible support for its growth.
Asif Mehmood, from Organic Cotton Accelerator (OCA), while congratulating the participants said, “Pakistan is now seen on the international map of Organic cotton production.”
Dr Shahid Mansoor, advisor ICCBS Karachi, highlighted the importance of developing non-GMO seed varieties that could grow with less water and less nutrients.
Experts discussed in threadbare the Organic-Non GMO seed, Bio inputs, Regenerative agriculture, digital agriculture, traceability & certification, and marketing to improve farmers’ income.
Hafiz Muhammad Bux, head of Organic cotton WWF Pakistan, said, “It is very inspirational that SAWiE is proactively providing a platform to discuss organic cotton related key factors to be considered on serious grounds and build synergies to combat existing challenges to organic cotton value chain.”
Dr Ghulam Ali, chairman of PARC, emphasized the need for developing local standards and certification for organic cotton meeting international standards.
He also highlighted the need to develop new Organic cotton clusters including Barani Tract, Cholistan, Layyah, and Bhakkar, and in KPK areas around DI Khan, etc.
Secretary of Agriculture South Punjab Saqib Ali Ateel said the discussion would greatly help bridge the gap between knowledge and practices and acknowledged that conventional agricultural practices in the country needed an overhaul, underlining the critical importance of soil management.
Stressing the need to transition from degrading soils to fertile ones, Ateel said the legacy they should be leaving for the upcoming generations must be a future with fertile soil, not barren dirt.
Prof. Asif Ali, Vice-Chancellor 9VC) of MNSUA, exhibited unwavering institutional commitment and pledged wholehearted cooperation to further the organic cotton sector’s growth.
The progressive farmer Mumtaz Manis said: “We need to reduce the use of pesticides and improve IPM practices to control pests and diseases.”
At OCA we continuously look to grow the impact of our work and expand the Farm Programme where it could make a difference. We believe there is huge potential for the organic cotton sector in Pakistan, where we have witnessed lots of positive energy and support from key industry partners in the country. Our objective is now to build partnerships with the right organisations on the ground to grow domestic organic cotton production and invest in the enabling environment required for a healthy and thriving organic sector.
In 2021, we partnered with agriculture specialist organisation CABI (Centre for Agriculture and Bioscience International), based in Islamabad, to understand the national organic growers’ challenges and opportunities across the new and existing cotton growing regions.
The resulting OCA Pakistan Market Entry Study, comprising of over 100 pages details the status of the agriculture sector of Pakistan in general and of the cotton sector in particular, at the national or country level. Additionally, the study reviews the existing situation of organic agriculture and recent initiatives to produce organic cotton in Pakistan.
The ultimate conclusion from the study is that current conditions in Pakistan are encouraging for an organic cotton initiative lead by OCA. Other key findings point to the existing projects in Baluchistan as a good starting point to expand to virgin areas in conventional cotton growing provinces. Availability of quality non-GMO seed as well as bio fertiliser and bio pesticides fundamental to organic agriculture need to be addressed and the certification, traceability, and testing systems need development and investment. Securing brand linkage is vital to boost support and create additional organic farmers.
‘We are excited to begin our foray into a new territory in 2022 and sow the seeds for the future of organic cotton in Pakistan. The findings of the study provided by Cabi will inform our next steps as we seek to form vital and long-lasting partnerships with key operational farming organisations and government and agricultural agencies or bodies. I believe OCA can make a difference to organic farmers in Pakistan as we have done for nearly 100,000 farmers in India over the years’, commented Ruud Schute, Programme Director, OCA.
In 2022, OCA will take the first steps in adapting its Farm Programme for the specific Pakistan regional needs and lay the groundwork through national specialists in the field of agriculture and cotton trade. We expect to make further announcements later in the year, when OCA has a Pakistan Programme team in place, Implementing Partnerships formed and essential Contributor commitments.
To receive access to the OCA/CABI Pakistan Market Entry Study, please email your request to secretariat@organiccottonaccelerator.org.
