Farmer Results 2016-17 Season The Better Initiative (BCI) is committed to measuring improvements everywhere Better Cotton is produced and to evaluating the social, environmental and economic impact of the Better Cotton Standard System.

BCI Farmers vs. Comparison Farmers

The farmer results presented here compare the country averages for this season (2016-17) of key social, environmental and economic indicators achieved by licensed BCI Farmers to non-BCI Farmers in the same geographic area who are not participating in the BCI Programme. We refer to the latter farmers as Comparison Farmers.

Collecting BCI Farmer Data

BCI Farmers maintain a Farmer Field Book, in which they record farm inputs and outputs such as methods, pesticide use, costs and yields. Data is collected every season from a large representative random sample of participating smallholders, and from all medium and large farms.

Communicating BCI Farmer Results

Farmer results must not be manipulated in any way. Averaging farm results across different geographies or across different cotton seasons undermines the credibility of the data. If you are a BCI Member and wish to use the results to support your storytelling or if you would like to share this information in articles, reports or other publications, please contact the BCI Communications Team who can help ensure that you use the data correctly and in a way that maintains the integrity of the data.

BetterCotton.org 1 Be part of something Better ENVIRONMENTAL & ECONOMIC INDICATORS Farmer Results 2016-17 Season e 2016-17 farmer results provide an overview of the outcomes BCI Farmers are experiencing at eld-level by participating in the BCI programme and adhering to the Better Cotton Principles and Criteria (P&C). e Better Cotton P&C provide a global denition of Better Cotton through seven key principles. Adhering to the Better Cotton P&C enables BCI Farmers to produce cotton in a way that is measurably better for people, the environment and farming communities.

BCI Farmers in all five countries used LESS BCI Farmers in all five countries used BCI Farmers vs. m3/ha kg/ha Comparison Farmers Water water for irrigation than Comparison Farmers. Pesticide LESS pesticide than Comparison Farmers.

The farmer results presented here compare the country averages to Compared

of key social, environmental and economic indicators achieved by to Compared licensed BCI Farmers to non-BCI Farmers in the same geographic area who are not participating in the BCI Programme. We refer to the latter farmers as Comparison Farmers. Average Non Average Non CHINA INDIA PAKISTAN TAJIKISTAN TURKEY Compared to Compared BCI Farmer -10% -5% -20% -3% -6% BCI Farmer -4% -30% -20% -63% -3% "Tip" How to talk about the results: "Tip" How to talk about the results:

Non BCI Farmers BCI Farmers in China used 10% less water than Comparison Farmers. BCI Farmers in India used 30% less pesticide than Comparison Farmers. BCI Farmers

Environmental indicators Synthetic fertiliser kg/ha Organic fertiliser yes/no Pesticide Use BCI Farmers used LESS synthetic fertiliser than A greater number of BCI Farmers USED organic The indicator measures the volume of active pesticide Comparison Farmers in 3 of the 5 countries. fertiliser than Comparison Farmers in 3 of the 5 countries. ingredient applied, per hectare of cotton cultivated. TAJIKISTAN CHINA Synthetic Fertiliser Use - % CHINA The indicator measures the volume of synthetic % fertiliser applied, per hectare of cotton cultivated. 1 TURKEY INDIA CHINA 0 TURKEY TURKEY INDIA Organic Fertiliser Use + % - % The indicator records whether organic fertiliser 2 17 + % + % is used. 2 11 PAKISTAN Water Use for Irrigation The indicator measures the volume of water used for irrigation, per hectare of cotton cultivated. Water INDIA TAJIKISTAN PAKISTAN TAJIKISTAN PAKISTAN use is not recorded for rain-fed cotton cultivation. Average Non Average Non +5% BCI Farmer -15% 0% BCI Farmer +5% Economic indicators Compared to Compared to

Yield "Tip" How to talk about the results: "Tip" How to talk about the results: The indicator measures the amount of harvested cotton, per hectare. BCI Farmers in Pakistan used 15% less synthetic fertiliser than Comparison Farmers. In Pakistan, 5% more BCI Farmers applied organic fertiliser than Comparison Farmers.

Profitability The indicator measures profitability, defined as the BCI Farmers in all five countries had BCI Farmers in all five countries had t/ha net income/ha net income earned from producing the cotton crop. Yield HIGHER yields than Comparison Farmers. Prot HIGHER profits than Comparison Farmers.

In the 2016-17 season, the Better Cotton Standard System was directly to Compared Average Non to Compared implemented in 11 countries. This overview shares results from five of BCI Farmer those countries and not the others for the following reasons. In Israel and , Comparison Farmer data was not available because most of the cotton farmers in these countries were already participating in the BCI Programme. In Kazakhstan and Madagascar, CHINA INDIA PAKISTAN TAJIKISTAN TURKEY there was only one licensed Producer Unit (a grouping of BCI Farmers) Average Non BCI CHINA INDIA PAKISTAN TAJIKISTAN TURKEY Farmer + % + % + % + % + % and BCI’s data confidentiality agreements prevent public reporting of 14 8 15 13 2 + % + % + % + % + % a single Producer Unit’s results. In the US, BCI only works with large farms, and Comparison Farmer data is not available because it is 27 21 37 48 10 considered commercially confidential information. In South Africa, "Tip" How to talk about the results: "Tip" How to talk about the results: there were data quality issues that prevented meaningful analysis. BCI Farmers in Tajikistan had a 13% higher yield than Comparison Farmers. BCI Farmers in Turkey had 10% higher profits than Comparison Farmers. SOCIAL INDICATORS Farmer Results 2016-17 Season

Eliminating Improving Knowledge Women’s Inclusion in BCI Activities The indicator measures the percentage of farmers who can accurately differentiate The indicator measures the number of farmers and workers receiving BCI training who are between acceptable forms of children's work and hazardous child labour. women (by training topic), compared to the number of male farmers and workers trained.

Eliminating Child Labour Improving Knowledge Women’s Inclusion in BCI Activities Percentages represent the proportion of women trained as a total of all participants.

LOW % CHINA 12 Training topic: % BASIC 21 Health & safety, labour, gender or other social issues 67% CHINA INDIA PAKISTAN TAJIKISTAN TURKEY ADVANCED 11,660 60,393 37,969 1,384 472

LOW %

INDIA 12 BASIC 33% TAJIKISTAN 35% 14% 19% 34% 37% % 55 Training topic: ADVANCED Preparation and use of pesticides

LOW % PAKISTAN 7 TURKEY CHINA 13,687 37,056 7,886 382 12 BASIC 26% % 67 % % % % % ADVANCED PAKISTAN 37 9 5 10 2 CHINA INDIA PAKISTAN TAJIKISTAN TURKEY

TAJIKISTAN % LOW 0 INDIA Training topic: BASIC 11% Harvest practices to ensure bre quality

% CHINA 89 CHINA 12,960 ADVANCED 31 TURKEY CHINAINDIA 61,454 LOW % TURKEY 1 35% BASIC % % 16 6 16% % 1,494 TAJIKISTANCHINA 36% PAKISTANCHINA 52,009 83 % ADVANCED 25