Farmer

Farmer

FARMER

They are the individuals who want to produce/produce cotton according to the Better Cotton Standard. Farmers are classified into three categories as small, medium and large, depending on cotton production areas and their dependency on structurally permanent workers (working for 12 months).

Farmers who were evaluated as producing under the Better Cotton Principles and Criteria - Core Indicators are called Better Cotton Farmers and only the cotton produced by these farmers can be sold as "Better Cotton". Large Farms who have Better Cotton Licenses produce cotton in a way that will take care of people and the environment, water, soil health and natural habitats, and provide decent working conditions for workers they employ.

In the Better Cotton Standard System, Small and Medium farmers are grouped under Producer Units (PU) and licensed at the PU level. Large Farmers participate individually in the system and the licensing process.

ROLES AND RESPONSIBILITES OF SMALL & MEDIUM FARMERS

• To participate in training and awareness raising activities organized by the Producer Unit (PU).
• To build cotton in more sustainable ways by adopting shared information and good practices through education and awareness creation activities.
• To produce following the Core Indicators set by farm categories in the Better Cotton Principles and Criteria.
• To keep records of data on inputs and outputs at the farm level; to help PUs monitor and understand the impact of the farmers' progress in implementing Better Cotton Standard through these records.
• If necessary (according to sample results), to pass licensing or surveillance assessments within PU, approved by BCI or 3. party individual auditors approved BCI, and to determine their compliance with the core indicators.
• Keeping the harvested Better Cotton physically separate from conventional (Traditional, other) cotton at all stages of harvesting, storage, transportation and sales.
• Keeping the License Number provided to them safe and sharing it only with the ginners they sell.
• Keeping and storing the registries/documents of Better Cotton sales.

BENEFITS OF BETTER COTTON STANDART SYSTEM TO FARMERS

• Farmers, their families and workers are the primary beneficiaries of the Better Cotton Standard System.
• Better Cotton Standard is designed with neutral cost for Small and Medium Farmers. Through the Implementing Partner (IP), the capacity development and licensing activities of farmers participating in the system under PU are supported by the PU Manager and Field Facilitators, requiring no additional cost.
• High quality standard (Better cotton/Quality cotton)
• Strengthening the farmer and the worker thanks to the organization
• Strengthening farmers with PU organization and IP support facilitates opportunities for collaboration/collective action
• Decrease in the input cost (Regularly keeping the farm input-output records, monitoring and evaluating these records over the years helps to increase profitability in production.)
• It supports the Better Cotton demand of the supply chain and ensures that farmers are at the core of this supply chain.
• Long-term sustainability of agricultural activities (soil fertility, environmental health)
• Health and working conditions improve in farmers, workers, their families and therefore in cotton-produced territories.
• The farmer's access to information gets easier and increases.
• Thanks to the participatory approach of Better Cotton Standard, farmers' opinions and recommendations are included.