At the Turkey Cotton Summit held in Izmir, participants focused on declining cotton production and the sector’s sustainability agenda. According to Dünya Gazetesi on 7 October 2026, Uğur Erdem, Director General of Crop Production at the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry, said that over the past three years global conditions and weaker textile consumption have caused a serious contraction in Turkey’s cotton planting area.
Erdem noted that world lint cotton production reached 26 million tons in the 2024–2025 season, with Turkey ranking seventh in production and third in productivity. He said domestic output this year had fallen below 1.5 million tons and underlined that Turkey imported 1 million tons of cotton worth USD 1.74 billion.
Balancing output with sustainability tools
Erdem stressed that cotton needs to be produced again at a more balanced level inside the country. He pointed to clear quality standards, preference for certified fibre in supply chains, and price signals that reward those choices. Climate change, water scarcity and natural disasters add further pressure, he said, making efficient water use, soil protection, and stronger registration, control and certification essential.
UPK–BCI standard recognition protocol
During the summit, the National Cotton Council (UPK) and Better Cotton Initiative (BCI) signed a Standard Recognition Protocol. The agreement is intended to support recognition of Turkish cotton produced under Good Agricultural Practices as equivalent to the BCI standard.
- Erdem said the partnership should diversify certified and contract farming.
- Producers are expected to gain access to additional markets.
- The aim is for Turkish cotton to appear more often in global brand supply chains.
For apparel brands and manufacturers, cotton remains both a cost item and a frequent line in buyer specifications. Lower domestic output increases import dependence, while a BCI-equivalence track can make it easier to answer sustainability and traceability requests. The practical message for sourcing and product teams is to lock origin and certification requirements into the season plan earlier.
Brands serving Europe already weigh documented sustainability criteria alongside price. The UPK–BCI protocol offers an institutional frame for that need; how fast it shows up on the factory floor will depend on the spread of contract farming and quality standards.
This article was summarised and commented on by the LTS Frekans editorial team, drawing on the source article.
