Describing the software’s use, GOTS said that once the algorithm was trained, it was applied to India’s vast agricultural areas, which cover 2.7 million square kilometers: “Within seconds, CoCuRA detected all organic and conventional cotton fields with remarkable accuracy. A project of this scale is only possible with CoCuRA, with no other comparable project or data existing.”
According to GOTS, the technology can locate cotton fields where farmers are using near-organic or non-certified organic methods. This can facilitate the certification process and ensure a steady increase in certified organic cotton.
The CoCuRA software would integrate AI technology with satellite data to accurately verify cultivation practices. The collected data would also contribute to Global Standards’ Global Fibre Registry, consolidating comprehensive data on the production of raw materials before they enter the GOTS value chain, further aiding fraud detection and prevention.
Jeffrey Thimm, an organic production specialist at Global Standard, said: “This technology identifies farmers who are using sustainable practices that meet organic standards but do not have certification. By integrating these farms into conversion projects, it increases the supply of organic cotton, promotes sustainable agricultural practices and enables farmers to earn premiums on their supplies.”
Claudia Kersten, Managing Director of Global Standard, added: “For over 20 years, we have been pioneering solutions to help the industry on its path to sustainability. This project is a game changer, combining satellite technology with AI to meet the growing demand for truly organic cotton. Furthermore, this eye in the sky will prevent fraud by allowing us to verify locations and field sizes in a very cost-efficient way. It’s a win-win-win: farmers have an incentive to grow organic and improve their lives, the industry can secure its supply and meet its sustainability goals, and consumers have a greater choice of organic textiles.”
Future prospects and global impact
GOTS plans to expand this initiative globally following the successful pilot in India.
Daniel Lanz, managing partner at Marple, believes that despite the unique challenges India faces, CoCuRA has achieved remarkable accuracy in detecting cotton fields and assessing cultivation practices.
“This breakthrough provides a groundbreaking insight into cotton production in India, which would be impossible to achieve in practice,” he noted.
Guillaume Tuan Prigent, a business developer and partnership officer in ESA’s Applications Projects and Studies Division added: “The potential impact of the solution lies in its ability to be scaled and this is exactly what we are working on. We want to deliver a solution that can have a global impact for the benefit of everyone.”
Global Standard is keen to expand this technology to other regions and fibres, potentially revolutionising crop monitoring methods.
This follows GOTS announcement in May of the launch of the ‘world’s first’ project aimed at demonstrating the capabilities of remote satellite monitoring for organic cotton farming systems.
“GOTS AI project for organic cotton detection found successful” was originally created and published by Just Stylea brand of GlobalData.
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