Nearly three-quarters of cotton industry stakeholders anticipate supply shortages and unpredictable volumes due to climate pressure over the coming five years. That’s one of the findings of a new report from global sustainability organization CottonConnect.
CottonConnect surveyed 124 cotton value chain stakeholders, including ginners, spinners, merchants, researchers, policy makers and field execution leaders representing more than 100,000 smallholder farmers in six major markets: Pakistan, Bangladesh, Egypt, Turkey and China.
Related Stories
Where Does Europe's Used Clothing Go? Nordic Study Tracks the Trail
How This New Denim Brand Is Building a Farm-to-Fashion Supply Chain
Of those interviewed, nine out of 10 have experienced operational impacts from extreme weather events in recent years, with those effects including spot-market price spikes experienced by 80 percent of respondents and more than half dealing with shipment or logistics delays.
More than 75 percent of midstream suppliers reported severe disruptions from delayed or unpredictable planting seasons, and 76.2 percent of government/academic respondents and 63.6 percent of field implementation teams reported reduced yield per acre.
Looking at the medium-term of the next three to five years, 65 percent of respondents said they expect heightened price volatility and 52 percent anticipate further drops in raw cotton quality. Another 21 percent anticipate a shift to alternative/synthetic fiber use due to these climate-related disruptions, and 18 percent expect sourcing shifts away from high-risk regions.
“Climate pressures are creating new challenges across cotton supply chains, but brands and suppliers don’t have to navigate them alone,” said Alison Ward, CEO of CottonConnect.
Source link
