Water use

  • Cotton uses less water than other irrigated summer crops like lucerne, corn, rice and maize and is not agriculture’s biggest water user. In 2004/05 dairy farming accounted for 19% of agriculture’s water use, livestock and grains 18%, pasture 16%, cotton 15% and sugar 10%

Water Efficiency

  • The Australian cotton industry plans to double its water use efficiency over the next decade and is investing $19 million in water use efficiency R&D over the next three years

On-farm Environmental Management

  • The Australian Cotton industry has the most comprehensive environmental farm management program (Best Management Practices BMP) of all Australian agricultural industries and approximately 60% of Australia’s cotton crop is produced under BMP

Climate Change

  • The Australian Greenhouse Office has estimated that the cotton industry contributed 0.3% of Australian Agriculture’s (0.01% of Australia’s) greenhouse emissions in 2005 and that the major source of its emissions are from fertiliser. That’s why the industry is researching the use of legume crops to provide nitrogen as well as techniques to improve fertiliser efficiency to reduce greenhouse emissions

Biodiversity

  • 20-30% of the area on cotton farms is covered by native vegetation and nearly one third of all Australian bird species are found in cotton growing regions

Land Use

  • Irrigated cotton typically occupies less than 2% of the total land of the river valleys where it is grown yet it generates some 35 to 40% of regional economic wealth

Efficient

  • Australia’s cotton growers are three times more efficient than the global average and have improved their efficiency by 238% since the 1970s

Chemicals

  • Australia’s cotton growers have reduced their pesticide use by over 90% in the last decade and lead the world in Integrated Pest Management (IPM) on cotton farms

Salinity

  • Industry research into salinity mapping shows salinity poses little significant threat in cotton growing areas

Research and Development

  • The Australian cotton industry is backed by a massive R&D effort, which invests millions of dollars each year in environmental sustainability programs

For more information on the cotton industry’s R&D efforts, please go to www.crdc.com.au or www.cottoncrc.org.au.

For more facts on cotton and the environment, please go to the facts and figures section.