Under the USDA Food Security Act and the Natural Resources Conservation Service, farmers must certify that they will not:
By adopting soil conservation best practices, U.S. cotton farmers have reduced soil loss by 30% over the last 35 years. 64% of U.S. cotton farmers employ some form of conservation tillage. Link
Farmers may apply for assistance to adopt conservation programs such as conservation easements and environmental quality incentives for agricultural and forest lands. Farmers can undertake conservation management activities through USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service Conservation Stewardship Programs to help protect and improve water quality and quantity, soil health, wildlife habitat and air quality. Link
The EPA mandates through the Clean Air Act General Duty Clause that facilities using or storing hazardous materials including pest management technologies must:
Farmers must be approved through EPA, and possibly state and county agencies, to use and store pest management technologies and other chemicals. Link
OSHA mandates that farmers protect workers from the hazards associated with moving machinery in farm field equipment and farmstead equipment. Link
U.S. cotton scientists and organizations share studies and best practice research to advance the industry as a whole. The U.S. cotton industry set the following goals for environmental footprint improvement by 2025:
OSHA mandates that field and farm workers have access to safe water and sanitation. Link
In addition to EPA discharge regulations, states may have water regulations that apply to cotton farmers to manage use. Link
The U.S. Department of Labor FLSA establishes minimum wage, overtime pay, recordkeeping, and child labor standards affecting full-time and part-time workers in the private sector and in federal, state, and local governments.
Farmers monitor and manage their crops safely for weeds, insects and diseases. Cotton farmers comply with 8 federal regulatory areas concerning pest management technology use. Since the 1980s, insecticide use by cotton farmers has been reduced by more than 50%.
EPA regulations require farmers to provide training and inform workers about pesticide safety, provide protections from potential exposure, and have plans to mitigate exposure. EPA also maintains standards for the certification of pesticide applicators and ensures that workers have training and the ability to safely handle, store and apply pesticides. Link 1 Link 2
Farmers may use tools such as the USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service tool to estimate their carbon footprint. Research on cotton tillage and conservation practices shows how cotton stores more CO2 than it emits. Link 1 Link 2
EPA mandates that farm operations with 25 or more workers maintain safe small-water drinking systems. Link
Through the support of research and implementation of technology, U.S. cotton production has made great progress in conserving the resources used to grow cotton. Since 1980, cotton production per unit has seen the following improvements:
Module ID tags allow for the gin to trace the cotton to the location where it was grown. Link
In the ginning process, cotton is subject to additional regulations, including:
Each bale is tagged and two cotton samples are removed from each bale and sent to the USDA classing office, where they are retained. Link
Cotton is tested using high volume instrument (HVI) methods by the USDA and its quality data is available from the USDA database. Link