Researchers warn that the effects of climate change – from high temperatures to more droughts and floods – are threatening cotton production in much of the world, and the cotton industry is facing worsening supply shortages, Reuters reports , rising prices and the risk of financial distress for growers.
To protect the $12 billion cotton market, which includes India, the United States, Brazil and China, humans need to drastically reduce emissions to limit global warming, and farmers need to step up efforts to Strive to adapt to new risks.
According to a report released by Cotton in 2040, by 2040, 40% of cotton-producing areas may have a shortened cotton growing season due to rising temperatures, and drought may destroy half of the world’s crops. Ultimately, if efforts to reduce emissions fail and global warming accelerates, cotton production could be significantly reduced, leaving the cotton industry “in the shadow of today.”
While growers are quickly becoming aware of rising climate risks, few companies that rely on cotton for their products are more aware of these threats, and consumers are even more aware, the study reports. few. This analysis should serve as a “wake-up call to the cotton industry,” as extreme weather has led to increasing volatility in cotton prices.
Crop losses are particularly severe for the millions of cotton farmers in developing countries, who account for approximately 90% of the world’s cotton growers. Crop failures can lead to reduced incomes for poor growers because they are unable to adapt to climate change or switch to more climate-adapted crops. In India, where farmers are battling severe drought and water shortages, some cotton growers have been driven into despair with no money to restart production after damaged crops.
Cotton-growing regions facing the most extreme weather risks include northern Sudan, Senegal and southern Mali in Africa, as well as parts of Iraq, Iran, Afghanistan and Pakistan. Efforts to change planting times, promote irrigation and provide farmers with climate forecasts to adapt to changing conditions could help some cope better. But unless greenhouse gas emissions are significantly reduced, some cotton-growing areas will no longer be suitable for growing the crop in the future. </p
