Climate Change Impacts Cotton Farmers in India

New Delhi, Sep 30 (PTI) Over 50 per cent of the cotton farmers surveyed in Gujarat and Maharashtra have suffered either "major or complete" crop loss due to floods and droughts in the past five years, according to a new report.

The survey, conducted by a UK-based think tank International Institute for Environment and Development (IIED) and the All-India Disaster Mitigation Institute (AIDMI), revealed that about two-thirds of the 360 farmers surveyed were experiencing longer dry spells, higher average temperatures and more days of extreme heat.

The survey, conducted in September 2023, involved cotton farmers equally split between Surendranagar district in Gujarat and Sambhaji Nagar district in Maharashtra. Most farmers were landowners, with the majority of landholdings smaller than 10 acres.

India is the largest producer of cotton globally. In 2023, it produced around 5.84 million metric tonnes -- almost a quarter of the world's cotton -- across 13 million hectares, engaging nearly six million farmers.

However, climate change, specifically more frequent periods of extreme heat, poses a significant threat to the livelihoods of smallholder farmers, especially women, who depend on this crop and is a critical risk to the global textile supply chain.

Research shows that the western and central zones of India are more vulnerable to drought-like conditions, while the northern and northeastern zones are more susceptible to extreme flood events. Smallholder cotton farmers are particularly vulnerable in this ongoing climate crisis, putting millions of livelihoods at stake.

Laura Kelly, director of IIED's Shaping Sustainable Markets team, said, "Climate change is turning into a nightmare for farmers everywhere, and India's cotton growers are no exception.

"There are some government programmes and insurance schemes to help them, but our research shows they are not well known and may not provide comprehensive support in any case. While farmers are already doing what they can to protect their livelihoods, the government and investors also need to pitch in."

The IIED director said big fashion chains need to recognise they have a role to play in helping their suppliers deal with climate shocks. Supporting the families producing a key commodity for their industry is not only a moral imperative but also a smart commercial choice.

The survey found that farmers are combating the climate threat by diversifying and rotating their crops or taking loans to invest in resources like irrigation to mitigate future problems.

Dipping into savings is another common coping strategy, but not all respondents have this option available.

Others reported that in response to climate shocks, they have been forced to sell land or livestock, while a small number have avoided using healthcare or even cut back on the amount of food they consume.

About two-thirds of respondents said they had crop insurance (81 per cent in Maharashtra and 42 per cent in Gujarat), one-third had life insurance, 36 per cent had health insurance and only 8 per cent had livestock insurance.

Much of the farmers' access to insurance comes through government schemes. However, uptake was found to be very uneven. One-third of the people surveyed said they had no access to any such government programmes, which may be due in part to a lack of awareness.