#Raw Materials

2021-09-01

BCI’s Large Farm Symposium: Driving farm-level impact through collaboration and knowledge sharing

Large farms play a key role in the cotton sector. While the majority of global cotton farmers are smallholders, producing 75% of the 25 million metric tonnes of global cotton production annually*, large farmers continue to contribute significantly to more sustainable cotton production. Notably in Brazil, large farms produced the largest volume of Better Cotton in the 2019-20 season, growing over 2.3 million metric tonnes or over 37% of the total Better Cotton produced globally.

While growing cotton at scale, the impacts of growing cotton more sustainably are amplified, especially around climate change mitigation and carbon sequestration. As BCI aims to transform the cotton sector, including all key players in the cotton sector is important. Learn more about how BCI is exploring the landscape approach to strengthen impact.

What is the difference between smallholders, medium farms and large farms?

Smallholders: Farmers who are not structurally dependent on permanent hired labour, and whose farm size does not exceed 20 ha of cotton.

Medium Farms: Farmers who are structurally dependent on permanent hired labour, and whose farm size is between 20 to 200 ha of cotton.

Large Farms: Farmers who have a farm size above 200 ha of cotton, and either have mechanised production, or are structurally dependent on permanent hired labour.

BCI also recognises that due to the scale of production and resources, large farms can be a nest of technological innovation in areas such as reducing water consumption. One example is the use of soil moisture probes that indicate when irrigation is required and can be monitored and managed through mobile apps. Remote monitoring of vast field conditions is worthwhile for farmlands that can spread across 200 hectares of land, but these best practices on large farms also create the opportunity for replication in other contexts and countries. BCI provides a framework to assess the sustainability of large farms to adopt more sustainable practices and the platform to collaborate across farming communities to catalyse change.

On 11 August 2021, BCI hosted the first BCI Large Farm Symposium to drive impact through collaboration. The online event gathered around 100 participants from 11 cotton growing countries and organisations—Australia, Brazil, Greece, Israel, Kazakhstan, Mozambique, Pakistan, South Africa, Turkey, the United States, GIZ, IFC and BCI. The symposium brought large farms together to promote knowledge sharing on common best practices that are specific to large scale cotton production. In spite of technical difficulties, virtual interactions enabled partners from Israel, Australia, Brazil, the US and Turkey to share on pest management and biodiversity practices, followed by small group discussions.

The Symposium created momentum for strengthening BCI’s community of practice on large scale cotton production. The presentations and final report will be soon available to participants and relevant partners.

Engaging with all our partners is crucial for BCI to strengthen its position within the sector and to be increasingly recognised as a reliable actor to transform the way in which cotton is produced worldwide. Learn more about BCI Partnerships.

*Source: https://www.idhsustainabletrade.com/sectors/cotton/

“Production is a product”

From technical textiles and AI-driven robotics to the limitations of textile circularity: Professor Dr Thomas Gries looks back on more than two decades of development at ITA Aachen. In the interview, he explains why production technology remains a decisive success factor, discusses international collaborations and innovation ecosystems, and shares his views on the transformation of production landscapes and the challenges facing an increasingly regulated industry.

“We need to move away from the price trap and return to a value-driven mindset.”

With its new Textile Innovation Center, KARL MAYER is sending a strong signal for innovation, collaboration, and the future of textile applications. In this interview, Karl Josef Mayer discusses new opportunities in warp knitting, the processing of staple fibres, recycling, the changing role of machinery manufacturers, and why the textile industry must once again focus more strongly on the value of textiles. by Oliver Schmidt

“Innovation, resilience and international experience remain the great strengths of the Swiss textile machinery industry”

Geopolitical uncertainty, growing competitive pressure from China, new free trade agreements and the shift towards a circular economy are currently reshaping the global textile industry. In this interview, Cornelia Buchwalder discusses the current mood within the Swiss textile machinery sector, the industry’s distinctive innovative strength, new market opportunities in India and Asia, and the technological trends that could shape the upcoming trade fair cycle leading up to ITMA 2027.

AMSilk and Ajinomoto Foods Europe expand partnership to enable industrial-scale production of silk proteins

AMSilk GmbH (“AMSilk”), a global leader leader in biotech produced silk materials, today announced a significant expansion of its partnership with Ajinomoto Foods Europe (AFE), marking a key step in scaling the industrial production of its silk proteins. Building on the collaboration first established in 2023, the two companies have now entered into a long-term manufacturing and supply agreement, enabling the transition from industrial validation to dedicated, large-scale production.

Rieter sees Barmag integration on track as orders and sales rise

The first half of 2026 was shaped by the successful completion of the largest acquisition in Rieter’s history. The Man-Made Fiber Division enables entry into the growth segment of man-made fibers and sustainably strengthens Rieter’s market position in the Asia region. The expanded Group is now the world’s leading system supplier for the processing of natural and man-made fibers. In the first half of the year, initial cost savings in material costs and operating expenses have already been realized. The targeted synergies are expected to amount to at least CHF 20 million by the end of the 2028 financial year. Due to the completion of the acquisition on February 2, 2026, the first half of the year for the Man-Made Fiber Division only amounts to five months.

C&S strengthens its governance to support its evolution

C&S announces the appointment of Marco Lucietti to its Board of Directors. With extensive international experience across the textile and denim industries, Lucietti will work alongside CEO Federico Corneli, contributing to the company’s managerial development, organizational structure and long-term strategic direction.