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  • Member Login
You must include atleast 3 characters!
  • ABOUT BCtA
    • ABOUT BCtA
    • INCLUSIVE BUSINESS AND SDGS
    • OUR TEAM
    • OUR PARTNERS
    • BCtA TIMELINE
    • GET IN TOUCH
  • JOIN BCtA
  • OUR MEMBERS
  • NEWS & EVENTS
    • HIGHLIGHTS
    • NEWS
    • WEBINARS
    • EVENTS
    • BCtA & GUARDIAN LABS
    • ANNUAL FORUM 2019
    • ANNUAL FORUM 2020
  • RESOURCES
    • OUR INSIGHTS
    • REPORTS
    • CASE STUDIES
    • COVID-19 RESOURCES
    • MULTIMEDIA
  • IMPACT
    • IMPACT LAB
    • IMPACT CHAMPIONS
  • TOOLKITS
    • MATURITY JOURNEY
    • IMPACT LAB
    • MANAGEMENT PRACTICES
    • HUMAN RIGHTS AND IB
    • IB IN SUB-SAHARAN AFRICA
    • GENDER EQUALITY FOR BUSINESS
    • SME ACTION PLATFORM
    • SDG CORPORATE TRACKER COLOMBIA
  • BCtA ANNUAL FORUM

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ITOCHU

ITOCHU Corporation & kurkku

Business Call to Action >Members >ITOCHU Corporation & kurkku

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ITOCHU

ITOCHU Corporation & kurkku

BCtA Membership StatusAlumni

Helping farmers in India convert to organic cotton production

Sector
Agriculture, Food & Beverage, Consumer Goods
Region of Initiative
Asia & Pacific
SDG contribution
SDG 12: Responsible Consumption and production

Cotton occupies a mere five percent of all farmland in India, yet accounts for more than half of the country's pesticide use. Pesticides frequently used in conventional cotton farming add a financial burden for farmers and cause serious health concerns including skin and respiratory diseases. India accounts for 80 percent of the world's organic cotton production. Despite the tangible financial and health benefits of producing organic cotton, the conversion process remains financially unfeasible for most farmers. Certification takes three years during which time farmers experience a 20-30 percent decrease in crop yields. In addition to lost revenue, the certification process entails additional fees which are prohibitive for many farmers.

Through its commitment to the BCtA, ITOCHU, a general trading company with 114 offices in 65 countries will work with Indian companies to identify farmers who are interested in converting to organic cotton farming. ITOCHU will then supply farmers with the necessary training and organic cotton seeds. The company also provides a guarantee to purchase the pre-organic cotton at a higher price than what farmers would have gotten for uncertified cotton. ITOCHU further assists farmers by funding their certification fees and aiding them with administrative support during the process.

As part of the Pre Organic Cotton Programme (POC), kurkku a sustainable lifestyle company links the cotton farmers with environmentally friendly Japanese consumers by promoting and selling pre-organic cotton for use in apparel. Through innovative partnerships such as the POC Program, kurkku promotes consumer preferences which help build an environmentally friendly and healthy future.

ITOCHU and kurkku, have pledged to scale up their POC Programme, thereby enabling 9,500 families in India to transition to organic cotton production by 2015. The initiative will rid 30,000 acres of land from harmful agrichemicals while improving the farmers health and increasing their incomes by up to 30 percent.

Publications - Case Studies

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ITOCHU Corporation and kurkku

In August 2012, one of Japan’s leading general trading companies, ITOCHU Corporation, and the sustainable lifestyle company kurkku joined the...

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Case Studies

Pre organic cotton program

As part of the Pre Organic Cotton Programme (POC), kurkku a sustainable lifestyle company links the cotton farmers with environmentally friendly...

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