Cotton Brazil Dialogues 2026 Strengthens Global Engagement Through Field Visits to Brazil’s Cotton Production Chain
International stakeholders explore Brazil’s cotton production, sustainability, traceability and innovation during Cotton Brazil Dialogues, with the next field trip scheduled for August 17–21, 2026.
The Cotton Brazil Dialogues programme completed its first five-day field immersion at the end of July, bringing together representatives from the international textile industry to explore Brazil’s cotton production chain. Through farm visits and technical workshops, participants examined the quality, sustainability, innovation and traceability practices that support Brazil’s position in global cotton production.
The 2026 edition includes two field trips. The next group of international participants will follow the same technical itinerary from August 17–21, 2026.
Led by Cotton Brazil and the Brazilian Cotton Growers Association (Abrapa), the initiative promotes the exchange of experiences and best practices in Brazilian cotton production while encouraging long-term engagement across the global textile value chain.
Since its launch in 2015, the programme has hosted representatives from the global textile industry, particularly from Asia. The 2026 edition expands participation by including, for the first time, representatives from brands, retailers, NGOs and international organisations alongside other stakeholders.
Field Visits Across the Cotton Value Chain
Participants visit different stages of cotton production, including cultivation, harvesting, ginning, fibre classification, quality control and traceability systems.
During a visit to the headquarters of the Bahia Cotton Growers Association (Abapa) in Luís Eduardo Magalhães (BA), Lisa Ventura, Head of International Partnerships at Abrapa, highlighted the opportunity for representatives from more than 15 countries to gain direct exposure to Brazilian cotton production.
“It is important to understand the realities of growing cotton in a tropical climate and how producers adapt through practices that strengthen resilience, improve resource efficiency and support more sustainable production.”
Producers hosting the delegation also shared their perspectives.
“It was a tremendous joy for me and my entire family to welcome such an important mission to our farm and cotton gin. Just like us, this group is driven by cotton,” said Alessandra Zanotto Costa, Managing Director at Grupo Zanotto, whose farms are located in the state of Bahia.
She added:
“Receiving people from different countries, backgrounds and purposes gives us the opportunity to present not only the history of the Zanotto family, how we got here and what motivates us, but also our production model and, above all, our commitment to the quality of the cotton fiber we produce.”
Visits Across Multiple Brazilian States
The programme includes visits across Mato Grosso, Goiás, Bahia, and the Federal District, allowing participants to observe farms, cotton gins, fibre classification laboratories and reference centres involved in the production process.
Among the topics discussed during the visits was water management. Participants learned that 92% of Brazilian cotton is rainfed, with producers combining natural rainfall, technology and farming practices to improve productivity and resource efficiency.
The programme also includes workshops and institutional meetings covering:
- Cotton quality
- Genetics
- Social and environmental certification
- Regenerative agriculture
- Innovation
- Carbon emissions
- The future of Brazilian cotton in international markets
Participant Perspectives
Eva Benavidez Clayton, Senior Director of Demand & Engagement at Better Cotton, said the initiative provides an opportunity to better understand Brazilian cotton production.
“I think that’s really important to get in conversation with the people who are actually producing this incredible natural fiber that the world consumes so much of. So I think it’s such a unique opportunity to come to Brazil. And then I’ve found also that the format is very valuable because there’s actors from the whole value chain.”
Mehmet Yanar, Fiber Sourcing Responsible at Ensar Tekstil San. ve Tic. A.Ş., said:
“This is my first time in Brazil, and I am very happy to have the opportunity to see how cotton is grown here. The fields are very impressive. The visual cleaning system and the fact that 100% of the cotton is classified using the HVI system work extremely well.”
Melissa Ortuño de León, Senior Manager, Environmental Impact Methodologies at Cascale, noted that the programme helped connect field observations with ongoing work on cotton life cycle assessment.
“At Cascale, we’ve been working on cotton life cycle assessment for more than six years. But we haven’t been on the field to see the realities of connecting data to what the farmers are experiencing.”
She added:
“Our methodology is a global methodology, but now seeing the realities in Brazil, just how different states, how different realities from rain-fed to those that need irrigation, is a great insight that I’ve gotten from this trip.”