A group of US cotton growers licensed to the Better Cotton Initiative (BCI) standard have reduced greenhouse gas emissions by 54% in a single season compared to regional averages by implementing regenerative agricultural practices. This impact improved to 77% when including carbon removals.
In the 2024-25 cotton season, the growers – based in Arkansas, Mississippi, and Missouri – took part in a collaborative project led by BCI and agricultural solutions provider Indigo Ag, and committed to implementing a selection of four regenerative practices.
They were able to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and sequester carbon totalling more than 17,500 metric tonnes (MT) over 19,000 acres. This impact, calculated and verified using Indigo Ag technology, creates opportunities for BCI Members to address their own supply chain emissions by directly investing in field-level decarbonisation – and for growers to subsequently earn more money.
Lars van Doremalen, Director of Impact at the Better Cotton Initiative, said: “This project captures the power of regenerative agriculture and the valueof field-level data. The growers we work with have driven change for years. But by quantifying that impact, we can unlock tangible incentives for both farming communities and fashion businesses to drive change together.”
Indigo Ag technology verified these results, generating impact data that allows carbon reductions to be monetised, factoring in the costs of practice adoption and subsequent benefits per metric ton of carbon dioxide equivalent (CO2e). This monetisation would be crucial considering the challenging economic climate currently faced by US cotton growers.
Leigh Cooper Swisher, Director of Sustainability Solutions at Indigo Ag, commented: “By combining rigorous field-level measurement with trusted verification, this pilot demonstrates how regenerative agriculture can deliver real, quantifiable climate impact within the cotton supply chain.
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