New LCA details environmental impact of US cotton production

A new life cycle assessment (LCA) of US cotton fibre production has been released, providing updated data on environmental impacts across the early stages of the cotton supply chain.

The study was commissioned by Cotton Incorporated and independently reviewed in line with ISO standards. It assesses cradle-to-gate impacts based on primary information from 753 growers across 17 US states, making it among the more extensive grower-based assessments of cotton production to date, a press release reported.

The analysis touches on key contributors to environmental impacts across categories. Fertiliser production and associated on-farm emissions, for example, are reported as the main drivers in most impact areas. Irrigation is then highlighted as the primary contributor to water-related impacts. These inputs vary depending on regional conditions and farming practices, but are typically identified as significant factors within the study.

In terms of greenhouse gas emissions, the study reports that producing one kilogram of US cotton fibre results in 1.45 kilograms of fossil CO2 equivalent emissions at cradle-to-gate level. When accounting for biogenic carbon flows, including carbon stored in soil and temporarily within the fibre itself, the study models a net result of -0.264 kilograms of CO2e per kilogram of fibre.

The study further evaluates additional environmental indicators beyond carbon, including water use and scarcity, energy demand, air quality impacts, and nutrient-related effects, intended to provide a broader environmental profile of US cotton production rather than focusing on a single metric.

Methodological sensitivity analysis within the LCA suggests that results can vary by more than 50 percent depending on modelling choices, including allocation methods and background datasets. The report notes that this could have implications for how results are interpreted and compared across studies and materials.

The findings are positioned as a framework to support further work in areas such as precision agriculture, irrigation efficiency, soil health, and fertiliser management. The intention is to enable more consistent tracking of environmental performance over time.

Commenting in the release, Jesse Daystar, vice president and chief sustainability officer at Cotton Incorporated, said: “With 753 growers contributing primary data across 17 states, this is one of the most transparent assessments of any fibre available today.

"As brands face growing pressure to back their sustainability claims with credible science, this LCA gives them exactly that: a clear, independently reviewed baseline for US cotton that can inform sourcing decisions, regulatory compliance and tracking meaningful improvement over time.”