SUSTAINABILITY ANALYSIS OF BETTER COTTON: A CLEANER AND SUSTAINABLE PRODUCTION ALTERNATIVE IN PAKISTAN

The Better Cotton Initiative (BCI) program is seen as a sustainable approach to cotton production in Pakistan. It trains its farmers to adapt to climate change and increase profits by efficient resource allocation. This paper analyses the resource allocation, profitability, and economic uplift of BCI farmers in comparison to non-BCI farmers. Primary data were collected from three districts of Punjab province. The results showed that the land area under cotton, land preparation cost, seed and sowing cost, irrigation cost, fertilizer cost, pesticide cost, thinning cost-plus weeding cost are positively associated with the profit of BCI farmers, whereas picking cost negatively affects the profit of BCI farmers. In the case of non-BCI farmers, the area under cotton and seed and sowing costs were positively associated with the profit. In contrast, land preparation costs, irrigation costs, fertilizer costs, and pesticide costs were negatively associated with the profit. Poverty incidence, depth, and severity among different socio-economic categories of farmers is lower among BCI farmers compared to non-BCI farmers. Therefore, the BCI program prevents overutilization of inputs by maintaining judicious use of resources. Supporting the Better Cotton Initiative (BCI) program can make better cotton a mainstream and long-term product in Pakistan. Keywords: BCI, Sustainable cotton production, economic uplift, poverty incidence, impact analysis