They benefited from lower costs, better health and soil, and premium market prices as buyers sought their higher-quality cotton.īut they lost their organic certification in 2015 after a genetically modified cotton variety known as BT, promising higher yields and pest resistance, spread so widely across India that they could no longer buy indigenous seeds from dealers. With the help of a non-profit in Telangana state's Warangal district, Yakamma and some other local farmers grew their first organic cotton crop in 2005 using natural manure and bio-pesticides. WARANGAL, India - Two decades ago, Damera Yakamma's husband, a cotton farmer in a southern Indian village, committed suicide by consuming pesticide because of his mounting debts, leaving his widow in charge of their two acres of land.Īfter that, the mother of four - then in her mid-twenties - decided she did not want any more chemicals entering her home.

Big brands, government urged to boost farmer support.

Independent farmers struggle with certification, prices.

Global fashion industry drives sustainable cotton boom.Context's new series, Growing Green, explores the path to a just transition. Done right, potential solutions like natural farming could make them more resilient while reducing emissions.

India's millions of small-scale farmers face rising pressure from climate change, which is hurting harvests and fuelling debt.

Solar powered grow light