Competing for space and making a difference? an assessment of sustainability standards in the Indian cotton sector

Abstract

Multi-stakeholder initiatives for sustainability in agribusiness are an emerging research, policy and practice issue in India. This chapter examines the issue of sustainability in the cotton sector and the role and performance of various sustainability standards. It compares various cotton sustainability standards as they are practised in India and finds that various sustainability standards coexist in India’s cotton sector with a certain degree of overlaps. These developments must be understood within the broader context of the farm sector in India where smallholders dominate and the cotton production sector suffered from serious crises in the 1990s and early 2000s in the form of crop failures, farmer indebtedness and suicides. The chapter concludes by summarizing the major findings and highlighting policy and practice insights for promoting more effective sustainability in the cotton sector.