“Better Cotton” initiative, implemented by GAP RDA and UNDP, helps improve environmental and labor practices in  Turkish agriculture

Şanlıurfa, 5 October 2023 – Adhering to “Better Cotton” environmental and labor standards makes cotton farming more profitable. This was the message heard today by cotton farmers, processors and retailers at the “Better Cotton Practices Panel and Field Day” organized in Şanlıurfa, the heart of Türkiye’s cotton-growing region, by the Southeastern Anatolia Project Regional Development Administration (GAP RDA) and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), with funding from the Better Cotton Growth and Innovation Fund. 

Better Cotton (bettercotton.org) is a non-profit initiative that seeks to improve cotton farmers’ livelihoods by promoting improved environmental standards and labor practices. It currently covers 2.9 million farmers in 26 countries and accounts for 20 percent of global cotton production. All actors in the cotton supply chain – farmers, textile makers and retailers – benefit from the reassurance that consumers feel in buying products with a Better Cotton label. 

Türkiye is the world’s seventh-largest producer of cotton, with 60 percent of the nation’s crop coming from Southeast Anatolia. UNDP and GAP RDA have been working together since 2020 to expand the application of Better Cotton standards among local farmers. So far, to date, 1,830 farmers in  Türkiye  have been licensed to produce under Better Cotton standards on 38,000 hectares (94,000 acres) of land in the southeastern provinces of Şanlıurfa and Diyarbakır. 

“Cotton is a crucial resource for the region hit by this year’s devastating earthquakes,” said UNDP Resident Representative Louisa Vinton. “This adds urgency to our efforts to expand markets and improve returns for the region’s farmers. Better Cotton helps by giving producers who apply its standards a competitive advantage among customers who prize sustainability."

“Cotton is one of the strategic agricultural products in the Southeastern Anatolia Region,” said Hasan Maral, President of GAP RDA. “The Better Cotton Standard, which overlaps with the main objectives and working areas of our organization, both ensures sustainable cotton production and makes the future of the sector more secure.”

Under their joint project, GAP RDA and UNDP assign agricultural engineers to train farmers on how to use resources efficiently, apply pesticides properly, protect nature and improve soil health. The training also covers decent work standards meant to ensure proper compensation and work safety for agricultural workers and prevent underage labor.

Today’s meeting in Şanlıurfa, held in a Better Cotton-licensed ginning facility, was organized for adherents of Better Cotton practices – farmers, agricultural engineers, ginners, processors and textile manufacturers – to share their experiences and followed by cotton harvest in a cottonfield.

GAP RDA and UNDP have a long partnership in the cotton sector, having previously worked together on improving efficiency in agriculture.

For more information:
Agah Parmaksız, GAP RDA Coordination Office of External Relations, Tourism and Promotion, agah@gap.gov.tr
Deniz Şilliler Tapan, UNDP Türkiye ISG Portfolio Communications Specialist, deniz.tapan@undp.org