Over 150 delegates from India and other parts of the world, representing government, the apparel industry, academia, research institutions, civil society and farmer groups participated in the 2nd edition of Cotton Trailblazers in Nagpur. 

Their main goal is to build a roadmap for the organic cotton sector in India, establishing Maharashtra as a key hub for organic cotton. The convention, co-hosted by C&A Foundation in collaboration with Solidaridad Asia and Organic Cotton Accelerator (OCA), celebrated India’s leadership in global organic cotton production and turned the spotlight on organic cotton farmers.

Cotton Trailblazers brings together key players to deliberate on the challenges facing the organic cotton sector and to look for solutions through collaborative efforts that create value for all - from farmers to consumers.

The stakeholders unanimously agreed that organic cotton is positioned to ‘take off’ in Maharashtra. The state was a pioneer in the organic transformation; yet today, only 11 percent of India’s total organic cotton supply comes from Maharashtra. A revival in the state can benefit the farmers by reducing cultivation costs in the input phase and lead to a decrease the overall debt, as well as stimulate the soil’s natural balance.

C&A Foundation and Solidaridad Asia have already incubated various local solutions that have been catalyst for the adoption of organic practises in the state, with an aim to reach 15,000 farmers. The organic cotton programme was also complemented with additional efforts by Solidaridad Asia on addressing the water stress challenge in the region by promoting micro-irrigation and rainwater management solutions covering 30,000 farmers.