Project Details.

The baseline study supports the Better Cotton project aimed at improving cotton production quality and sustainability in District Sanghar through the implementation of the Better Cotton Standard System (BCSS) using the six principles of Better Cotton P&C (Version 3.0). The project was implemented in Taluka Jam Nawaz Ali and Taluka Tando Adam, both highly vulnerable to climate-induced risks such as droughts and floods. With 3,005 smallholder farmers (2,243 male and 762 female) included across cotton-growing villages. 

The project promoted climate-resilient agricultural practices and empowers both male and female farmers. The baseline study aimed to identify farmers’ existing practices and methods in relation to the six principles—Management, Natural Resources, Crop Protection, Fibre Quality, Decent Work, and Sustainable Livelihoods—and to develop a Continuous Improvement Plan (CIP) that guides future interventions, behaviour change, and monitoring aligned with Better Cotton P&C V3.0. 

HIMAT Consulting conducted a comprehensive baseline assessment to identify previous cotton cultivation practices used by smallholder farmers across the six Better Cotton principles. The assignment included designing the baseline methodology, developing data-collection tools, and formulating the baseline survey format. HIMAT deployed both quantitative and qualitative approaches to capture farmers’ practices in management, natural resource use, pest management, fibre quality, decent work conditions, and livelihood sustainability. 

The team carried out field data collection across selected villages in Taluka Tando Adam and Jam Nawaz Ali, developed a structured baseline database, and documented previous practices and gaps for each principle. Findings were analyzed and synthesized to produce a detailed baseline report, including principle-wise focus areas requiring improvement. Based on these findings, HIMAT developed a comprehensive Continuous Improvement Plan (CIP) outlining actionable recommendations for enhancing compliance with Better Cotton P&C V3.0. All work was conducted in line with RDF’s confidentiality, ethical, and contractual requirements, ensuring data security and strict adherence to non-disclosure commitments.