Better Cotton partners with Avalo to develop climate-resilient cotton using AI

The Better Cotton Initiative (BCI) has partnered with agricultural technology company Avalo to accelerate the development of climate-resilient cotton varieties using artificial intelligence and plant genetics. Avalo’s platform identifies plant traits associated with resilience and uses them to shorten the breeding cycle for new, locally adapted varieties that could require less water and fertilizer.

The companies are already working with BCI-certified farms in the Texas High Plains, where growers have begun contracting to produce Avalo cotton varieties. Avalo also worked with BCI during the 2026 season to enroll new producers and test an online platform designed to streamline data collection and reporting across multiple programs.

The partnership comes as cotton producers in the Texas High Plains contend with limited water supplies, more intense heat and rising production costs. Todd Straley, CEO of Quarterway Cotton Growers and a cotton farmer, said developing varieties adapted to more extreme conditions could be critical to maintaining the viability of cotton farming in the region. Avalo said about two-thirds of the cotton it sold was tied to demand from brands committed to regenerative agriculture, with buyers also interested in data collection and farmer-equity components.