Regenerative farming for Mexican cotton

In 2022, we launched a regenerative cotton programme in Chihuahua, Mexico. To begin with, we carried out research to better understand how cotton was being grown, and the needs and perspectives of the growers. Using the information gathered, we set up a pilot scheme in 2023 with a select number of growers. Our aim was to target GHG emissions, pesticide and fertiliser use, soil health, irrigation, water consumption and biodiversity loss.

Through the programme, growers were given training in regenerative farming practices, help with using efficient techniques for irrigation and crop rotation, and access to biological and biorational forms of crop protection to replace synthetic inputs.

In all, 46 growers participated, covering 14,000 hectares – including 3,000 hectares of conservation area, with 95% of the land placed under a crop rotation programme. More efficient irrigation strategies were suggested, including drip, mobile drip and pivot irrigation, along with better weather monitoring. The 2023/24 crop produced 27,000 bales of cotton from over 11,000 hectares of cropland and achieved the first ever regenerative agriculture certification in Mexico.

Building on this success, we are extending our investment and making biological crop protection and fertilisers available to producers, regardless of whether they are enrolled in the scheme, as part of our commitment to add value to growers.