2024 Australian Cotton Sustainability Report released

The Australian Cotton Industry has released its latest Sustainability Report. This report offers a detailed view of our sustainability performance and achievements, providing valuable insights for growers and industry stakeholders.

Key Findings:

Water Efficiency: Water use efficiency improved slightly on an annual basis. About 50 per cent less water is used to grow a bale of cotton compared to 1997 in most seasons. In very wet or dry seasons, water efficiency is lower.

Pesticide Impact: The hazard to bees (from insecticides) and algae (from herbicides) reduced by 91 per cent and 52 per cent respectively since 2004. However, successive wet seasons and harder-to-control weeds have increased herbicide use in recent years.

Greenhouse Gases: The emissions intensity of Australian cotton was 1.05kg CO2e per kg of lint, which has been the average for the past four seasons. Defining a credible long-term emission reduction path is a current priority. On average 55 per cent of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions come from fossil fuels in fertiliser manufacturing and farm machinery, and 40 per cent come from on-farm nitrogen use. 

Productivity Gains: From 1993 to 2024, the five-year average area planted with cotton has expanded by 83%, and the amount of cotton harvested has surged by 125%, demonstrating notable gains in productivity and water use efficiency.

Economic Contribution: $3.1 billion gross value of production in 2024. Most of the earnings from cotton production flow straight into the economy through purchase of goods and services, wages, taxes, and payments to providers of capital. Regional economies in particular are supported by cotton production: in 2022/23, $1.7 billion was estimated to be spent by irrigated cotton growers on operating expenses, and cotton growers regularly report about 80% of business expenses are spent locally.  

To meet the evolving requirements of our supply chain, brands, and retailers in our 2024 report, we’ve integrated new reporting measures. This includes data on dependencies, impacts, and various risks and opportunities. By adopting this approach, we more clearly communicate our sustainability performance in the format and language expected by our customers and stakeholders.

This transparency and more granular data, also support better industry decision-making and risk management, helping us manage risks and opportunities and maintain access to premium markets.

Read the Full Report, Two-page Summary or download the Excel Data pack.