THE inaugural meeting of the Australian Cotton Sustainability Reference Group (ACSRG) has established a formal platform to help industry better understand stakeholder expectations and discuss its sustainability performance.

The ACSRG involves representatives from brands and retailers, environmental organisations, First Nations, governments, merchants, regulators, community organisations, health and safety, as well as cotton growers, researchers, input providers and other broadacre agriculture sustainability frameworks.

Cotton Australia chief executive officer Adam Kay said genuine stakeholder engagement was a key factor in the success of the Australian cotton industry’s sustainability framework PLANET. PEOPLE. PADDOCK.

“The logic of effective stakeholder engagement is compelling: we’re more likely to be successful if we understand and manage what is important to the people who influence our success,” Mr Kay said.

“We engage every day with many stakeholders, and this new Sustainability Reference Group adds another level by providing a regular formal process to bring a diverse group of experts and thought leaders together to inform industry sustainability decision-making.

“Importantly, we have brought together a group of advanced independent thinkers who will question and challenge what we are doing, if they think necessary, and suggest new actions and directions.”

The ACSRG first met on 3 November to discuss items identified by participants as being most important to them, including industry actions and future plans for water use, biodiversity, greenhouse gas emissions, soil health, and health and safety.

The Group has asked to meet twice-yearly to provide constructive feedback on opportunities for collaboration, emerging risks, and suggestions to increase existing pathways and plans for greater positive impact.

Cotton Research and Development Corporation (CRDC) executive director Ian Taylor said the group was one part of the work being done by the industry to make evidence-based decisions on sustainability progress and investments.

“Our sustainability aspirations are guided by science and aligned to stakeholder expectations,” Dr Taylor said.

“We hope the diversity of people in the ACSRG will provide another mechanism to ensure we are in line with societal goals, and also bring new thinking and different perspectives that will help us to see new opportunities and solutions.”

Sources: CRDC, Cotton Australia