Cotton Genomics and Genetics 2025, Vol.16, No.2, 80-94 http://cropscipublisher.com/index.php/cgg 87 such as the "World Cotton Research Conference" have been broadcast online in recent years, enabling agricultural technicians in developing countries to easily obtain the latest knowledge and apply it to local practices. It can be foreseen that with the improvement of rural communication infrastructure and the improvement of digital literacy, informatization will empower the cotton cultivation system to a greater extent, break through geographical restrictions, achieve optimal resource allocation and full-process quality control, and provide strong technical support for sustainable development. 5 Policy Support Mechanism To achieve a comprehensive and sustainable transformation of the cotton industry, it is inseparable from the guidance and support at the policy level. Governments and international organizations can create a policy environment conducive to the promotion of sustainable practices by formulating certification standards, providing economic incentives and increasing RandD investment. 5.1 Certification standards and industry norms Sustainable certification builds a communication bridge between producers and markets and is an important policy tool to promote green production. In the past decade, a number of international cotton sustainability standards have been established, such as the BCI, organic cotton certification, fair trade cotton, and the cotton initiative for Africa (CmiA) (Partzsch et al., 2019). These standards set out different environmental and social guidelines for cotton production, and independently audit qualified cotton farmers or farms to give their products the identity of "sustainable cotton". In the global supply chain, certification standards have become a pass for sustainable products to enter the high-end market. For example, organic cotton requires no use of chemical synthetic inputs and genetically modified seeds throughout the process, and has a high production cost, but organic cotton products can get a premium, and some brands are happy to purchase them to meet their environmental commitments. According to the Organic Cotton Market Report released by the Textile Exchange in 2021, organic cotton production set a new record between 2019 and 2020, mainly driven by market demand for organic cotton. For most ordinary farmers who do not meet organic requirements, participating in looser standards such as BCI is a realistic path. The BCI standard covers six major principles, including soil, water, pests, fiber quality and labor conditions, providing a framework for gradual improvement in large-scale cotton production. As of 2022, BCI's good cotton production has accounted for more than one-fifth of the world's total. This model encourages farmers to continuously improve their production methods through market recognition. At the national level, some cotton-producing countries have also formulated localized sustainable cotton standards. For example, the China Cotton Association jointly issued the "Cotton China Sustainable Development Project (CCSD)" standard with relevant departments in 2021. This standard combines China's national conditions and involves indicators such as pesticide and fertilizer reduction, water and energy conservation, and labor protection, which are in line with international standards. The implementation of these standards has set clear goals for the government and the industry and promoted the upgrading of industry norms. Of course, the vitality of standards lies in implementation. It is recommended that the government strengthen supervision of the certification system, prevent false propaganda, and actively participate in dialogue and cooperation on international standards, promote mutual recognition and integration of various standard systems, and avoid burdening farmers with repeated certification. By improving the certification standard system, the "visible hand" can be used to guide cotton production in a more sustainable direction. 5.2 Government subsidies and financial incentives Policy incentives are one of the direct driving forces for farmers to change traditional production methods. Many countries subsidize cotton production to ensure farmers' income and stabilize cotton supply. If subsidies can be linked to sustainable practices, it will have a huge driving force for green transformation. For example, the government can give additional subsidies to cotton fields that adopt environmental protection measures such as drip irrigation and soil testing and fertilization to compensate for their equipment investment. The experience in Xinjiang shows that fiscal subsidies have a significant effect on the promotion of drip irrigation. Since the late 1990s, the Xinjiang government has subsidized drip irrigation materials and well power facilities, and with the introduction of international cooperation projects, millions of acres of cotton fields have been converted from
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