To celebrate World Cotton Day 2026, the International Cotton Advisory Committee (ICAC) has produced a video highlighting four initiatives that are transforming scientific knowledge into practical tools, field-level results, and new opportunities for cotton farmers.
Presented by ICAC Executive Director Eric Trachtenberg, the video demonstrates how Virtual Reality can provide farmers and extension specialists with immersive training throughout the cotton-production cycle. It also introduces the Cotton Expert Soil and Plant Health App, which offers information in more than two dozen languages and can help diagnose 92 insects, 16 diseases, and eight nutrient deficiencies.
The video also highlights the results of ICAC’s train-the-trainer work in Zambia. More than 350 on-farm demonstrations helped participating farmers more than double their yields, reaching approximately 2,760 kilograms of seed cotton per hectare. Eighteen training sessions reached about 4,000 participants, including nearly 1,000 women, while more than 2,000 farmers adopted biochar practices.
In Uzbekistan, the ICAC is piloting a carbon-credit initiative that combines regenerative agriculture, biochar, and rigorous monitoring, reporting, and verification. The project is designed to improve soil health, strengthen climate resilience, and potentially provide participating farmers with additional income of up to US$200 per hectare.
Together, these initiatives demonstrate the spirit of “Cotton for Good”: using innovation, science, training, and international cooperation to deliver meaningful benefits to cotton farmers and their communities.
Watch the video to see how the ICAC is turning knowledge into action for cotton farmers around the world: https://youtu.be/ZIHAYl-FQGA