In 2009, Australian cotton industry leaders recognised that the industry needed a clear plan for the future and saw the potential for a shared vision to be created to enhance the industry’s performance, collaboration and capacity.

The purpose of developing a shared vision was to enable the industry to recognise future challenges and opportunities, and most importantly, align its thinking and its planning – working together to plan for the future. 

As a result, the Vision 2029 project commenced in September 2009 as a collaboration between CRDC, Cotton Australia and the Australian Cotton Industry Council (now the Australian Cotton Industry Forum). Through the development of a shared vision for the future, Australian cotton aimed to improve the industry’s long-term performance, organisational cooperation, capacity, profile and prosperity.

To expand the industry’s thinking beyond the short-medium term challenges to a strategic focus, a 20-year timeframe was chosen for the shared vision. Every link in the Australian cotton industry chain was addressed including seed and chemical distributors, growers, consultants, researchers, pickers, truckers, ginners, classers, merchants, spinners and brand owners.

In partnership, the industry identified trends and driving forces influencing cotton’s future and developed scenarios to explore the possible futures Australian cotton might face: Boom, Bust, Food Replaces Fibre, and Present-Day Projection.

Vision 2029 and six key objectives for Australian cotton’s preferred future resulted from this collaboration.

In 2019, following a review of the currency of the vision, ‘innovative’ was added as a seventh objective to reflect its fundamental and increasing strategic importance. The impact of the digital revolution has been explicitly recognised, as has the maturity of cotton as an outward-looking industry that places great importance on understanding and responding to changing consumer and community expectations as the basis for trust and social license.

Vision 2029 - Australian cotton, carefully grown, naturally world’s best. 

By 2029 the Australian cotton industry will be: 

Differentiated - world leading supplier of an elite quality cotton that is highly sought in premium market segments. 
Responsible - producer and supplier of the most environmentally and socially responsible cotton on the globe. 
Tough - resilient and equipped for future challenges. 
Successful - exciting new levels of performance that transform productivity and profitability of every sector of the industry.
Respected - an industry recognised and valued by the wider community for its contribution to fibre and food needs of the world.
Capable - an industry that retains, attracts and develops highly capable people.
Innovative - an industry that continually adapts and progresses through new ideas, processes and impacts.

For more information, please download the Progress towards Vision 2029 fact sheet.