Biodiversity serves important functions that enhance the environmental resource base upon which agriculture and cotton production depend. It is in the best interest of the U.S. cotton industry to conserve and enhance the biodiversity upon which it relies to grow cotton and reduce negative environmental impacts.  Many components impact wildlife habitat and biodiversity in an agricultural community. These can range from land made available for habitat to the impact of crop inputs on the environment.

In the United States in 1926, there were 44.6 million acres of cotton grown.  On those 44.6 million acres, very typical of that period, it produced about 18 million bales. In 2006 over 22 million bales were produced on 12.7 million acres freeing land for uses other than agriculture. This ability to produce MORE bales on FEWER acres has been possible by modern practices adopted by the U.S. cotton growers. It is informative to look at the 1920s because that period is characteristic of production practices currently used in many parts of the world. This illustrates the potential for improvement in cotton production efficiency with modern technology.

Improved Cotton Production Efficiency

From: USDA