Regenerative Agriculture: The Future of Cotton Farming and Climate Action

Regenerative agriculture is fast becoming a cornerstone of sustainability in the textile and apparel industry-a major shift in how brands approach ecological responsibility. At its heart lies the restoration of soil health and the increase of organic matter, the true bedrock of regenerative farming. For cotton producers, embracing these practices delivers a powerful dual benefit: ensuring the long-term viability of their farms while playing a critical role in the fight against climate change.

Regenerative agriculture stands in sharp contrast to conventional farming, which often leads to land degradation, biodiversity loss, and greenhouse gas emissions. While definitions of regenerative agriculture may vary, its core practices share common ground: minimizing or eliminating tillage, adopting cover crops and crop rotations, reducing or avoiding synthetic agrichemicals, using farm-derived organic inputs, integrating perennials and agroforestry, promoting intercropping, combining crops with livestock systems, and implementing managed grazing.

Benefits of Regenerative Agriculture for Cotton Farmers

• Improved Water Use Efficiency:

  Regenerative practices like cover cropping and reduced tillage enhance soil structure and water retention, helping crops withstand drought and reducing irrigation costs.

• Lower Dependence on Synthetic Inputs

  By using farm-derived organic matter and natural pest management, farmers can cut back on chemical fertilizers and pesticides reducing cost and reducing environmental harm.

• Greater Resilience to Extreme Weather

  Healthier soils and diversified cropping systems make cotton plants more resistant to floods, droughts, and temperature fluctuations, ensuring stable yields even under climate stress.

• Higher Yields and Financial Returns

  Balanced nutrient management and improved soil fertility lead to better crop performance, translating into increased productivity and profitability over time.

• Reduced Environmental Impact

  Lower chemical use and improved soil carbon sequestration help mitigate greenhouse gas emissions, contributing to climate change solutions while preserving biodiversity.

While the principles of regenerative agriculture are universal, their application must be tailored to local realities-especially smallholder cotton farmers. At Beetle, after extensive discussions with experts and farmers, and drawing on our years of experience in the field, we recognized the need to prioritize practices that deliver the dual benefits we outlined earlier. It's important to remember that modern agriculture is no longer input-driven as in the days of the Green Revolution; today, it is knowledge-intensive and demands informed decision-making.

At Beetle we did a deep dive into all the principles and against them prioritized practices that we want to promote and looked at the barriers to achieving the same.

In this blog we will focus on one of the very important principles:

Reduced use or elimination of external inputs such as agrichemicals

One of the most pressing issues in cotton production is the excessive use of nitrogen fertilizers-a challenge with serious environmental consequences. When nitrogen is applied in large quantities, it leads to nitrous oxide (N₂O) emissions, a greenhouse gas with a global warming potential nearly 300 times greater than carbon dioxide. Globally, it's estimated that about 40% of applied nitrogen is lost due to over-application, far exceeding the plants' uptake capacity. In cotton and other crops, this overuse -particularly in the form of urea remains to be a critical concern.

Through our interactions with farmers, we have learnt that excess nitrogen during the early growth stages particularly 45 to 60 days after sowing causes the plant to develop lush, excessive foliage. This dense growth attracts sap-sucking pests such as leafhoppers and thrips, forcing farmers to resort to pesticide sprays. Our mantra is simple: feed the plant according to its actual needs. By promoting split applications based on scientific recommendations, we've achieved significant success in helping farmers adopt balanced nutrient management.

India's urea consumption also tells a compelling story: from about 141 lakh tonnes in 1990–91 to 193 lakh tonnes by September 2025. One major reason is that the maximum retail price (MRP) of nitrogenous fertilizers has remained unchanged for over a decade due to government subsidies. Urea is available at nearly half the price of the next cheapest fertilizer, SSP. This heavy subsidy makes reducing fertilizer use and promoting balanced application-a significant challenge.

At Beetle, we continuously engage with farmers to highlight the harmful effects of improper nutrient balance. While we've made progress, we cannot rest on our laurels; ongoing dialogue and education are essential to drive lasting change.

Be part of the change that makes farming practical, profitable, and sustainable. Our call to our farmers is to start with just one regenerative practice this season and join the movement that's shaping agriculture for generations to come, and to the brands and supply chain partners is to come and join hands in this mission

Talk to us today and take the first step toward a climate-positive future!