Celebrating World Cotton Day with a New Milestone for Conservation: The Launch of the India Cotton Project

Yesterday, on World Cotton Day, Wildlife Friendly Enterprise Network (WFEN) was thrilled to announce that it has received a grant from the Regenerative Fund for Nature to support our India Cotton Project in the Satpura-Pench Corridor. This initiative is a pioneering step in transforming cotton production through Regenerative + Wildlife Friendly®️ practices, safeguarding biodiversity while empowering local communities.

About the Project:

The Satpura-Pench Corridor is home to endangered species like the Bengal tiger, leopard, and sloth bear. However, cotton farming, a key livelihood in the region, has been putting pressure on these ecosystems. Our project will work with over 6,000 smallscale farmers to adopt regenerative practices that restore biodiversity, improve soil health, and reduce production costs by up to 30% through bio-inputs. The area is a critical tiger corridor, and without intervention, linear infrastructure and habitat degradation would threaten both wildlife and local farming. By integrating sustainable land use and strengthening wildlife corridors, the project will protect not only tigers but also leopards, gaur, eagles, and essential pollinators.

Key Partners:

WFEN is leading the project in close collaboration with:

• WWF-India, leveraging their conservation expertise and helping us develop authentic storylines that resonate with brands and consumers.
• COFE Producer Company Ltd, certified Wildlife Friendly®️ for their cotton production composed of 900 women farmers is a cooperative working with farmers to help them transition to organic and Regenerative production.

Expected Outcomes:

1. Biodiversity & Tiger Corridors: Safeguarding the Pench-Satpura-Melghat tiger corridor, protecting habitat for multiple species, and ensuring ecosystem functionality.
2. Economic Empowerment: Training and market access for smallholders, particularly women farmers, will enhance their livelihoods through certified sustainable practices.
3. Regenerative Cotton Production: The transition to Certified Wildlife Friendly®️ and regenerative agriculture will restore soil health, reduce synthetic input use, and support climate resilience.

Why It Matters:

This project is not just about cotton—it’s about building economies to save ecologies. By creating market linkages for Regenerative + Wildlife Friendly®️ cotton, we are proving that sustainable agriculture can benefit both people and the planet. The India Cotton Project will serve as a flagship model for regenerative agriculture, aligned with the global targets of the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework.

“Regenerative agriculture is the future—not just for farmers, but for the landscapes and communities that depend on them. Through this partnership, we are investing in a cotton value chain that strengthens both livelihoods and ecosystem health. By integrating sustainable farming practices and restoring degraded lands, this initiative demonstrates how agriculture and conservation can work hand in hand to create lasting impact,” said Jim Fitzpatrick, Director of Conservation International’s Regenerative Fund for Nature

Join us in celebrating this landmark initiative, and let’s build a future where cotton production supports biodiversity, empowers communities, and fosters climate resilience!

About Conservation International

Conservation International protects nature for the benefit of humanity. Through science, policy, fieldwork and finance, we spotlight and secure the most important places in nature for the climate, for biodiversity and for people. With offices in 30 countries and projects in more than 100 countries, Conservation International partners with governments, companies, civil society, Indigenous peoples and local communities to help people and nature thrive together. Go to Conservation.org for more, and follow our work on Conservation News, Facebook, Twitter, TikTok, Instagram and YouTube.

About COFE Producer Company Ltd

Chhindwara Organic Farmers Enterprise (COFE) Producer Company Ltd is a farmer producer entity that is currently working with some 6000 plus farmers to help them to transition to organic and Regenerative production and to connect them to markets and help the community farmers access better prices without having to bear all of the additional costs. COFE has more than 900 women farmer-members across 214 predominantly tribal villages. Helped in its founding by an NGO called Srijan that ran a self-help group (SHG) for women, COFE works with women who harvest custard apple as a forest produce. COFE processes the custard apple pulp, packages, freezes and sells it to large ice-cream companies. Also, it has a dal processing plant with a capacity of one tonne a day and supplies organic cotton grown by its members to local ginning mills.

About Wildlife Friendly Enterprise Network (WFEN)

WFEN is a global community dedicated to the protection of wildlife in wild places and on agricultural lands, promoting sustainable livelihoods through the certification of products and services that adhere to the highest standards of wildlife stewardship and habitat conservation. Our Wildlife Friendly®️ certification programs ensure that consumers can make informed choices that contribute to the conservation of biodiversity.