**10.7 Positive impacts on environment and social aspects**

Cotton is the most profitable and extensively cultivated non-food crop globally. Its manufacture generates income for over 250 million people and employs more than 7% of the labor force in underdeveloped countries. Approximately half of all textiles are made of cotton. Despite cotton's enormous worldwide market, the unsustainable nature of the current production techniques threatens the industry's capacity to continue producing the crop in the future. Bringing cotton production into compliance with even the most minimally acceptable environmental standards is a challenging task. To encourage the ethical production and use of cotton, WWF is working with a variety of international partners in various capacities. The three main environmental impacts of cotton are water use, habitat modification, and the use of agrochemicals, especially pesticides.

#### **10.8 Water scarcity**

Water is extensively used in the growth and processing of cotton. According to some experts, among all agricultural products, cotton uses the most water. To irrigate cotton crops, surface and ground fluids are frequently diverted, resulting in freshwater loss through evaporation and ineffective water management.

#### **10.9 Soil erosion and degradation**

Water is used a lot in the growth and processing of cotton. Out of all agricultural products, cotton is said to require the most water by certain specialists. Frequent diversion of surface and groundwater for cotton crop irrigation results in freshwater loss due to evaporation and ineffective water management.

#### **10.10 Pollution**

Conventional cotton farming practices involve heavy use of pesticides and fertilizers. Pesticides endanger not only the water and soil quality but also the biodiversity in and around the fields. Because pesticides are used so extensively, there is also concern for the health of farm workers and the neighboring populations.

#### **10.11 Water contamination**

Pesticides, fertilizers, and minerals are introduced into rivers, lakes, marshes, and subsurface aquifers by cotton field runoff. Because of their rapid toxicity, these pollutants either directly or indirectly destroy biodiversity through long-term accumulation.
