Voluntary Sustainability Standards in South Asia

The report examines the role of voluntary sustainability standards (VSSs) in the South Asian cotton sector, specifically in Bangladesh, India, Pakistan, and Sri Lanka. It identifies three primary sustainability challenges: excessive synthetic pesticide use, severe water depletion, and volatile farmer incomes. The analysis finds that VSSs like Better Cotton, Organic, Fairtrade, and the REEL Cotton Code have significant market potential, particularly those allowing genetically modified (GM) cotton, which dominates the region. Spatial analysis indicates that VSSs are largely implemented in high-need areas, though gaps remain in regions like Andhra Pradesh and Haryana. The report concludes that while VSSs provide a framework for sustainable production, there is a lack of integrated regional policy or trade agreement provisions to scale these benefits, recommending stronger alignment between government policies and VSS requirements.

• South Asia's cotton sector is a major global contributor, providing approximately 30% of total global cotton lint production annually between 2008 and 2018.
• The prevalence of genetically modified (GM) cotton in South Asia significantly dictates the expansion potential of different VSSs; Better Cotton and the REEL Cotton Code have higher growth potential because they allow GM cotton, whereas Organic and Fairtrade standards prohibit it.
• VSSs can effectively reduce the use of hazardous chemicals; for example, the REEL program in India achieved an average reduction of 52% in pesticide consumption between 2014 and 2015, and Better Cotton farmers in India and Pakistan reduced consumption by 10% and 18% respectively.
• Water depletion is a critical issue in South Asian cotton-growing regions, with watersheds in Gujarat, Rajasthan, Haryana, Punjab (India), and Punjab and Sindh (Pakistan) experiencing depletion levels greater than 75%.
• VSSs improve farmer profitability through different mechanisms: Better Cotton and REEL focus on lowering production costs and improving fibre quality, while Organic and Fairtrade provide price premiums.
• Existing intraregional trade agreements, including SAFTA and APTA, lack specific provisions to actively promote sustainable production practices in the cotton sector, relying instead on broad general exceptions.
• India is a global leader in several VSS categories, serving as the largest global purveyor of Organic, Fairtrade, and REEL-certified cotton, and the second-largest purveyor of Better Cotton.
• Textile processing standards like GOTS and the Fairtrade Textile Standard address the downstream impacts of cotton production, requiring wastewater treatment and the payment of wages that meet basic needs.

APA

Voora, V., Elder, S., & Sarmiento, F. (2023). Voluntary Sustainability Standards in South Asia. International Institute for Sustainable Development. https://www.iisd.org/system/files/2023-03/voluntary-sustainability-standards-south-asia-cotton-supply.pdf

Chicago

Voora, Vivek, Sara Elder, and Florencia Sarmiento. Voluntary Sustainability Standards in South Asia. International Institute for Sustainable Development, 2023. https://www.iisd.org/system/files/2023-03/voluntary-sustainability-standards-south-asia-cotton-supply.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Voora |first1=Vivek |last2=Elder |first2=Sara |last3=Sarmiento |first3=Florencia |title=Voluntary Sustainability Standards in South Asia |publisher=International Institute for Sustainable Development |date=March 2023 |url=https://www.iisd.org/system/files/2023-03/voluntary-sustainability-standards-south-asia-cotton-supply.pdf |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{voora2023voluntary, author = {Voora, Vivek and Elder, Sara and Sarmiento, Florencia}, title = {{Voluntary Sustainability Standards in South Asia}}, institution = {International Institute for Sustainable Development}, year = {2023}, month = mar, url = {https://www.iisd.org/system/files/2023-03/voluntary-sustainability-standards-south-asia-cotton-supply.pdf}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }