Problem
Many cotton-farming communities in India rely on their surrounding environment as source of livelihood. However, the excessive use of water and chemical pesticides in conventional cotton farming practices causes significant negative impacts on the environment, including degradation of soil quality, water scarcity, and increased climate vulnerability. In India, climate change has forced cotton farmers to face multiple challenges, ranging from climate variability, pest infestations, to fluctuations in market prices - making cotton a riskier crop for local smallholders.
Reliance on cotton alone, compounded by droughts and water shortages, has led many farming families into financial instability and environmental degradation, with the increasing use of inputs further adding to operational costs. The community’s reliance on traditional, single-crop agriculture highlights a need for sustainable practices to address both economic and environmental vulnerabilities.
Response
The Regenerative Production Landscape Collaborative (RPLC), initiated by the Laudes Foundation, IDH, and WWF India, offers a model of regenerative agriculture that addresses both livelihood and environmental challenges. This model, which encourages farmers to diversify their crops and grow agri-commodities using natural and regenerative farming principles, has a reportedly significant benefit in restoring degraded natural resources and reducing emissions from farming systems.
By supporting cotton farmers to stop relying on monoculture cultivation, the programme has led to improved soil health, a fourfold increase in yield, and higher income. RPLC now reportedly supports 120,000 farmers across 1,158 square miles of cotton farms in India to shift from monoculture cotton farming to include vegetable cultivation using sustainable practices, empowering local communities with training and resources to build resilience.
