Thanks in part to a greater adoption of the myBMP program, the Australian cotton sector is reaching new heights of best practice farm operation and enhancing its reputation globally for high-quality, sustainably cultivated cotton.
According to the most recent data, an estimated 45% of Australia’s cotton crop will be myBMP certified this season. With the help of independent auditors and regional managers from Cotton Australia (CA), more farm owners and managers are lining up to go through the certification process.
In order to promote the optional program and help growers on their path to certification, CA’s General Manager Michael Murray attributes this success to the diligent efforts of the myBMP team and regional managers across the growing regions.
We were successful in hiring a committed myBMP officer to assist growers in New South Wales a year ago, and we also have another resource available in Queensland on a part-time basis. A funding from Better Cotton, the world’s top cotton sustainability effort, made this possible. Better Cotton’s aim is to protect and restore the environment while assisting people in surviving and thriving.
Mel Swift, who is headquartered in the Macquarie Valley, was appointed as Australia’s first full-time myBMP Sustainability Implementation Officer. This move was in perfect harmony with myBMP’s endeavor to expand the number of certified growers using best practice farming.
Rob Crothers, the myBMP manager for Australia, stated that the new job and a greater dedication to the myBMP principles by Australian cotton growers have led to a rise in the number of farmers who are certified or enrolled for the process, with younger farmers frequently spearheading the shift.
“Last year we had around 400 certified myBMP Farms and this year we have close to 550 farms fully myBMP certified, and that’s because growers recognise that the process improves their business, while also bettering emerging global standards for sustainably grown cotton.
“We have also noticed a trend among younger growers who have completed the myBMP certification process begun by their parents.”
One such grower is 24-year-old Jordan Morrison from Wee Waa who convinced his father Russell and brother Nick to get behind it. “A lot of things we were already doing on farm, and it was a matter of being ticked off or certified on. It also helps contribute to our social licence with the general public and benefits the industry as a whole.”
One grower close to completing her myBMP certification, is Liz Stott, CA Board Deputy Chair and a cotton grower with husband Dallas in Leeton, NSW. “This process has helped us to implement better systems in our farm, and it’s about going beyond compliance and actually demonstrating that we, as Australian cotton growers, are committed to best practice.
“Capturing all that in a document or in data means we can then share that with the broader market to show that we are compliant legally obviously, but also that we are very committed to the future and our responsibility as guardians of our land,” Liz said.
“It’s very important for us as growers to understand the global marketplace, where we fit within that, and just look at the trends. We can’t bury our head in the sand and think ‘on no – we’ll be right! We have to get on board and look to the future and myBMP is part of that.”
