ICAC warns cotton farming ‘under threat’

BREMEN - Global cost pressures, climate disruption and weak policy support are threatening the long-term viability of cotton farming, the International Cotton Advisory Committee (ICAC) warned delegates at its 83rd plenary meeting.

Presenting new data on the economics of cotton production, ICAC chief scientist Dr Keshav Kranthi highlighted how rising input prices, pests and weather extremes were squeezing farmer margins, even as brands stepped up their reliance on cotton as a preferred “natural” fibre.