For the new report, called “Seeding Soil’s Potential,” Wrangler’s soil health advisors reviewed more than 45 scientific papers and reviews from academic, government, and industry researchers, the company says. Expert input came from the USDA’s Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS), the Nature Conservancy, and the Soil Health Institute.
In the U.S., cotton is farmed on around 12.5 million acres, accounting for 16 percent of global production, the company says. The denim manufacturer concluded that practicing sustainable cotton farming techniques results in the removal of three times the amount of greenhouse gas emissions from the atmosphere compared to conventional farming methods.
“Conventional cotton cultivation practices disturb and degrade the soil with tillage, bare soil surfaces, chemical inputs, and continuous monoculture crop production,” the report says. “The value of strong and healthy soil can be underestimated, but there is burgeoning interest across the supply chain, from farmers to brands, to implement practices that build and protect the soil.”
