Climate Beneficial™ Cotton: A Regenerative Approach to Soil Health & Supply Chain Resilience
By Rachel Witte
Cotton has been classically bred by human communities in agricultural valleys for millennia. Originally a perennial species, it has been hybridized and transformed into an annual crop over time to enhance the volume of the annual harvest. This is one small example of the human drive to increase the plant's annual yield. We’ve also expanded where and how we grow cotton over the centuries, from the transatlantic slave trade, to contemporary cases of forced labor by the Uyghurs in China’s largest cotton producing region, the need for more and more has enabled forms of agriculture and labor practices that exemplify that unfortunate human tendency to squeeze and pull more value from natural systems than we return to those systems. However, cotton itself remains an incredible gift from the natural world, and if grown in a reciprocal manner with the ecosystem, there is much to celebrate about this amazing species.
Representatives from Coyuchi holding up a blanket in the field it was grown
Across the United States, a growing network of farmers, mills, and supply chain partners are proving that cotton can be grown and sourced responsibly: regenerating soil, reducing climate risks, and strengthening domestic fiber systems. Building on this effort is Climate Beneficial™ Verification (CBV), a model that links measurable climate outcomes to sourcing strategies, connecting brands directly with the farmers and landscapes behind their fiber. Since its launch, CBV has enrolled over 180,000 acres across participating farms, with growers implementing more than 700 conservation practices tailored to their land.
As part of the Climate Beneficial™ program, cotton growers are provided with technical assistance and a tailored carbon farm plan that identifies site-specific regenerative practices such as multi-species cover crop planting, compost application, and reduced tillage. Growers also commit to reduced chemistry use, glyphosate removal, and following a nutrient management plan. Each farm’s plan is designed in partnership with technical experts, followed by soil testing, data collection, and third-party verification to track outcomes like increases in soil organic matter and carbon sequestration. This ensures brands can source cotton with transparent, measurable climate benefits while fostering long-term improvements on the land.
Regeneration in Action with Bowles Farming Company
“We’ve been farming this land for six generations,” says Cannon Michael, president of Bowles Farming Company in California’s Central Valley. “Our focus is on stewardship. Climate Beneficial™ helps quantify and recognize practices we’ve been doing for years, and encourages us to push further.”
Bowles Farming is one of the early adopters of CBV cotton, integrating a regenerative toolkit including cover cropping, livestock integration, compost application, and reduced tillage. “Like most farmers, we’ve always looked at soil like we look at our people, our community—everything has to be healthy and productive if we’re going to be successful,” Cannon explains. Working with CBV formalized and accelerated some practices they had been exploring, particularly around minimizing tillage and experimenting with cover crop management.
“Climate Beneficial™ gave us a framework to be more intentional about what we're doing,” Cannon says. “We’re pushing harder on cover cropping, we’re making bigger strides in reducing tillage, and we’re fine-tuning our inputs.” Despite regulatory constraints—like California’s legal requirement to plow cotton to manage pink bollworm risk—Cannon and his team have explored ways to reduce tillage wherever possible, experimenting with minimum-till and strip-till methods. “It’s a hybrid system,” he says. “We’ve blended some new techniques with what we know works here.”
Rebecca Burgess, Fibershed Executive Director and Founder in the field with Cannon
Cannon emphasizes that CBV’s data-backed approach helps communicate progress to stakeholders and customers. “The data helps us tell the story in a way that’s transparent and accountable,” he says. “It gives us credibility as we navigate environmental and market pressures.”
He also points to CBV’s unique role in connecting farmers directly to brands. “We’ve had CEOs, designers, and sourcing teams come to the farm and see it firsthand. That’s rare in cotton. The supply chain is usually so disconnected. CBV builds relationships that wouldn’t happen otherwise.”
Asked what advice he’d give to other growers, Cannon offers: “Start small. Every operation is different. Be patient—it takes years to really see results you can trust. And work closely with Fibershed to tailor a plan that fits your farm.”
Verified Impacts of CBV Cotton
Climate Beneficial™ cotton isn’t just a label—it’s a results-based system with measurable ecological outcomes. Each farm’s progress is tracked across CBV’s B5 Framework: soil health, water cycle, biodiversity, economy, and community—ensuring that improvements are measured holistically, not just by carbon alone. Each participating grower works with a trained Carbon Farm Planner from the Carbon Cycle Institute (CCI) to develop a tailored carbon farm plan identifying regenerative practices suited to their landscape and their unique goals. These practices may include multi-species cover cropping, compost application, reduced tillage, riparian restoration, or glyphosate elimination.
Growers then begin implementing these changes while CCI oversees ongoing data collection and third-party verification. “Each grower is connected to a technical assistant that supports them as they implement climate beneficial practices or conservation practices outlined in their carbon farm plan,” explains Lynette Niebrugge, associate director of CCI. “The planner’s role is to connect growers with implementation and funding resources, identify additional best practices, and support ongoing monitoring through soil testing and regular site visits—not just to confirm compliance, but to help build a resilient system that works on their land.” Siena “Shep” Shepard, Fibershed’s CBV program director, adds: “CBV is different. We’re measuring soil health, biodiversity, water data—real indicators—across what we call the B5 Framework. It’s a paired practices-plus-outcomes model.”
The results are compelling. In the 2023–24 season, soil aggregate stability 67% of CBV cotton growers improved by 67% (with increases up to 124%). One-third of growers boosted soil organic matter and carbon by up to 20%, while another third reported increased biological activity. Microbial activity rose by as much as 139%, and active carbon by 115%. All participating farms eliminated the use of glyphosate and extremely hazardous class 1a chemicals, and used organic amendments such as compost, green waste, or manure.
“These numbers aren’t just metrics—they represent changes you can see and feel in the field,” Lynette adds. “We’ve seen improvements in soil structure, water infiltration, increased soil organic matter, and biodiversity that translate into more resilient and more productive systems.”
A cotton tour participant holding compost that will be broadcast into the fields
Beyond soil health, CBV cotton fields have shown increased resilience to weather extremes. During a recent heat dome in California, regional cotton yields plummeted by as much as 70%. One participating grower saw major yield drops in their conventional and organic fields—but not in their CBV cotton field. “That’s what happens when you build soil health and water retention,” Shep explains. “The crop is happier. It can survive stress.”
“The Climate Beneficial™ framework ensures we’re not just making claims—we’re standing behind them with real data and integrity,” says David Roshan, president of Laguna Fabrics. That transparency creates value for brands seeking authentic climate action and traceable sourcing and gives them a chance to connect sourcing to land stewardship in a meaningful way.
Laguna Fabrics – Weaving Traceability into the Supply Chain
Laguna Fabrics CBV cotton jersey
In Los Angeles, Laguna Fabrics is integrating CBV cotton into domestic textile production, offering brands traceable, climate-beneficial fiber verified at the source. “For us, Climate Beneficial™ was a way to move from a sustainability story to a traceability story,” says David, the company’s president. “We know exactly where this cotton was grown, who grew it, and the practices they used. That’s a value our customers can see and feel.”
Laguna Fabrics weaves CBV cotton into knit fabrics for fashion brands seeking to align sustainability commitments with authentic storytelling. “More brands are asking for domestic supply chains,” David explains. “The pandemic exposed how fragile global sourcing can be. This is an opportunity to build something stronger and more transparent here at home.”
David underscores that traceability isn’t just documentation—it’s also about relationships. “It’s not just where the cotton comes from, but the relationship behind it,” he says. “That’s what’s missing from so much of the global textile supply chain.”
Laguna’s partnership with CBV provides brands with verified claims linking soil health outcomes directly to the fiber they source. “We’re part of a system connecting regenerative agriculture to textiles in a measurable way,” David reflects. “That’s powerful.”
Reimagining Cotton’s Legacy at Seed2Shirt
Seed2Shirt cotton demonstration
Seed2Shirt, a Black-owned social enterprise brand, brings an equity-driven lens to Climate Beneficial™ cotton sourcing. “We see Seed2Shirt as a social enterprise that uplifts Black people and communities globally,” explains Tameka Peoples, founder of Seed2Shirt. “Our vertical model values the land and values Black farmers, reimagining their relationship with cotton.”
Seed2Shirt’s farmer enrichment program goes beyond soil health. “We’re creating holistic systems to make the farmer, their family, and their land more resilient,” Tameka says. This includes microgrants, technical assistance, and building networks to support Black cotton farmers in the U.S. Southeast—many of whom face systemic barriers to financing and market access.
For Seed2Shirt, CBV is one of several tools supporting their growers. “Climate Beneficial™ was a natural fit,” Deandra Eubanks, Seed2Shirt co-founder says. “Many of our farmers were already practicing soil-building methods out of necessity. CBV lets us validate and uplift what they’re already doing, and helps tie value back to those practices through traceability and premium markets.”
Tameka with a collaborator in the field
Tameka adds: “It's also about reclaiming the resilient growing practices in indigenous and black communities. We now get to 'officialize' and call it something, but they've been just naturally implementing these practices for generations. Now we need the system to recognize and honor the communities that were already doing these things. And if you're going to honor them, let's tie it to some level of value by adding a premium to what we know is being done."
Seed2Shirt communicates CBV’s value through education. “Every audience needs something different,” Deandra says. “For brands, it’s the legal claims, the traceability, the measurable data. For farmers, it’s understanding why it matters and how it connects to legacy. For consumers, it’s knowing their purchase uplifts a different kind of system.”
Tameka emphasizes that adopting CBV requires a collaborative approach within brands. “We always tell brands: bring your sustainability team, your materials team, your innovation team, your corporate responsibility team—all of them need to be at the table. Because this work is nuanced, and the needs can be met at the brand level by all these departments so that changes over time at the ground level and cost barriers improve simultaneously.”
The CBV Model: Measurable Outcomes, Shared Value
CBV’s verification includes soil sampling, data analysis, and ongoing reporting to ensure regenerative practices translate into actual climate outcomes. “It’s not certification based on a checklist,” says Lynette. “It’s verification based on both visible and measurable results in the field and real, ongoing engagement with our producers.”
CBV cotton before and after processing
For growers, CBV fosters a feedback loop to refine practices. For brands, it offers traceable climate benefits they can confidently communicate. “A transparent and trusted supply chain benefits everyone,” Cannon explains. “It provides consumers with products backed by real integrity.”
As global trade faces instability, CBV cotton offers brands a rare combination: verified environmental outcomes, transparent sourcing, and U.S.-grown fiber. “This is about rebuilding a domestic textile ecosystem that works for both people and planet,” David says.
The work is ongoing, and the challenges are real. But for those willing to invest in a climate-beneficial future, the rewards are tangible: healthier soils, stronger supply chains, and a more connected textile economy.
