One of the many highlights of my job is the opportunity to mingle with farmers. While attending the recent annual meeting of the Arizona Cotton Growers Association I had the opportunity to recognize an elite group of Arizona cotton farmers.

For 30 years Farm Press has honored cotton farmers from across the U.S. for their acumen to environmental sustainability. This started way before “sustainability” was a buzzword. In that time, 120 cotton growers from California to the Carolinas have been recognized by Farm Press for their commitment to sustainable farming practices.

Of the 12 winners from Arizona since the award’s inception, seven attended the annual Arizona Cotton Growers meeting in Sedona in June. In an event hosted by Farm Press, I had the opportunity to recognize Arizona cotton farmers Clyde Sharp, Dennis Palmer, Bruce Heiden, Jerry Rovey, Ron Rayner, Paco Ollerton, and Greg Wuertz. It was a grand opportunity to highlight their efforts.

Moreover, the recognition highlights a commitment to farming a crop that has seen declining acreage, particularly in the West. The competition for higher value crops and the lack of irrigation water can make cotton less attractive to farmers. Those who continue to farm cotton in the West do so amidst many challenges, including the pressures from urban sprawl, and regulatory restrictions.

Related:Jerry Rovey: 2024 Western High Cotton Award winner

Nevertheless, they still do it. In some cases, the sons and daughters of these growers continue the farming legacy of generations before them. How they do it amidst unchanging cotton prices baffles me. Perhaps it’s something in their blood – a part of their DNA that they can’t or are unwilling to change.

U.S. cotton farmers have a great story to tell. We heard that message at the Arizona cotton meeting. Sadly, that has yet to translate into higher market prices for the natural fiber they produce. While some parts of the cotton producing world still employ slave labor and don’t have the same strict crop protection standards as U.S. farmers, we continue to hear that the world wants safer, sustainable practices used to produce their food and fiber. The National Cotton Council referenced this and the Cotton Trust Protocol in Arizona’s meeting recently.

“We need to use our sustainability story to a greater advantage, particularly over manmade fibers,” said Jody Campiche, vice president of economics and policy analysis with NCC.

Campiche went on to say that the U.S. cotton industry must find more opportunities to monetize the benefits of the Cotton Trust Protocol and the sustainability practices of U.S. farmers.

We’re learning that the synthetic fibers used in clothing do not break down in landfills like cotton products. For those interested in checking all the sustainability boxes on an audit form, this should matter.

These are just a few of the reasons why U.S. cotton matters in a global marketplace claiming to support environmental sustainability and regenerative agriculture.