Experts Gather in Missouri for Sustainable Cotton Conference
September 23, 2010 Efficiency, innovation and profitability will be the keys for cotton growers if they hope to remain in business in coming years, according to a group of industry experts who gathered at the Sustainable Cotton Summit this week.
Addressing more than 100 textile and apparel management students at The University of Missouri in Columbia, Mo., Janet Reed, associate director of agricultural research for Cotton Inc., pointed out that U.S. cotton growers have managed to raise their yields while simultaneously decreasing their drain on fresh water and arable land. Not only are those efforts critical to maintaining the health and balance of the environment, they are the keys to staying in business, she said. Changes in the production process also have resulted in less use of pesticides, another factor that helps the sustainability of cotton production while reducing the cost of inputs.
Another area of importance identified by the expert panel is the need to make use of cotton byproducts, which typically are viewed as waste. Using them for applications such as building materials, as a food source for both humans and animals, and as a replacement for synthetic packaging materials will further help to raise profits and minimize cotton’s environmental footprint.
Finding a way to balance profit against environmental and social concerns should be areas of greater focus for corporations, according to Jana Hawley, chair of the University’s Department of Textile and Apparel Management.
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