Global leader of home textiles Welspun India Limited has extended its support to Better Cotton Initiative (BCI) and organic cotton (non-GMO) under its WelKrishi initiative. The initiative is formed to assist and educate farmers associated with the company with regards to sustainable farming, market-linkages, post-harvest handling, financial help and awareness.
“Sustainable cotton farming is the key to unlocking a radical transformation across the textile value chain in the interest of environmental conservation while lifting millions of people out of poverty by providing a more stable income and improved working conditions. This is precisely what we aim to achieve through our WelKrishi project. Our aim is to establish a robust, self-reliant farming community by promoting balanced sustainable growth and development and preserving the integrity of natural resources while enhancing the quality of life for everyone,” Dipali Goenka, CEO & Jt MD, Welspun India Limited, said in a statement.
As part of the initiative, Welspun has established farm field schools to train cotton farmers in sustainable farming and essential technological skills. The company is also providing organic non-GMO cotton seeds to farmers at 25-50 per cent subsidized rates along with artificial intelligence (AI) based technologies for managing pests. Its Sourcetrace app is a complete management solution for farmers, providing visibility into the complete value chain from field to the market.
Welspun has also provided financial aid to farmers to help them install water-saving equipment on their farms.
The company has procured over 75,000 quintals of raw cotton from farmers at competitive rates and offered a premium price for organic cotton.
Source: https://www.fibre2fashion.com/