An independent assessment has confirmed that cotton bred using artificial intelligence can be grown with no irrigation and a fraction of the fertilizer used in conventional farming, according to results released Wednesday by agricultural biotechnology company Avalo Inc.
The cradle-to-gate Life Cycle Assessment, conducted by sustainability firm Indigo Ag, found that cotton grown under Avalo’s program in the Texas High Plains produced 47% fewer greenhouse gas emissions than conventional baselines, used 71% less synthetic fertilizer, and required effectively zero irrigation water. The analysis followed the Greenhouse Gas Protocol’s Land Sector and Removals Standard and covered all emissions from planting through ginning.
The findings mark the first independent, third-party validation of sustainability claims that Avalo has made since launching its commercial cotton program last year, and they arrive as global brands face mounting pressure to verify environmental claims in their supply chains rather than simply assert them.
“These results give our farmers, our partners and customers independent, rigorous confirmation that Avalo delivers on our core promise,” said Tricia Carey, Avalo’s chief commercial officer. “The LCA isn’t just validation — it’s a foundation for more transparent, accountable supply chains.”
Avalo uses computational genomic selection, a process that applies machine learning to vast genetic datasets, to identify and breed cotton varieties suited to specific regions and growing conditions. The company says the approach allows it to compress breeding timelines that traditionally take a decade or more into a fraction of the time, while selecting for traits such as drought tolerance and reduced nitrogen demand without sacrificing fiber quality or yield.
The technology is being tested against one of agriculture’s most pressing resource problems. The Texas High Plains, which produces a substantial share of the United States’ cotton crop, sits atop the Ogallala Aquifer, a vast underground water source that has been pumped for irrigation since the mid-20th century far faster than it can naturally recharge. Water levels in parts of the aquifer have dropped by more than 200 feet, and state projections show further significant declines in the decades ahead. As a result, land that once supported center-pivot irrigation is increasingly being farmed without it, or abandoned altogether when conventional, water-dependent cotton varieties fail to perform.
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Indigo Ag, which conducted the assessment, has built a track record verifying agricultural sustainability claims for corporate buyers, including running soil carbon credit programs and emissions-tracking work for apparel brands.
“Avalo is exactly the kind of company that moves the needle in agricultural systems transformation,” said Leigh Cooper Swisher of Indigo Ag. “Their commitment to science, precision, and thoughtful farmer engagement set this collaboration apart from day one, and the results speak to what’s possible when innovation meets accountability.”
According to the assessment, only five fields in Avalo’s program applied any nitrogen fertilizer at all, with participating farmers’ usage falling well below the program’s ceiling of 30 pounds per acre. Avalo said the reduction in fertilizer, a petroleum-derived input whose price has grown more volatile amid global supply disruptions, was the primary driver of the lower carbon footprint.
The company said 2025 was its first commercial growing season for cotton, and that it plans to expand acreage sixfold in 2026, with every farmer from the inaugural season returning to the program. Avalo described the retention rate as evidence of grower confidence in the economics of the low-input model, which the company says can match or exceed conventional yields despite using far fewer resources.
The results land at a moment when demand for verified sustainable cotton is rising across the apparel, textile and consumer goods sectors, as brands face growing regulatory and consumer scrutiny over unsubstantiated environmental marketing. Companies sourcing cotton and other agricultural commodities are also increasingly seeking lower-input supply chains to insulate themselves from fertilizer price swings tied to geopolitical instability and energy markets.
Avalo said it intends to use the LCA data to support customers’ sustainability reporting, sourcing decisions and certification processes. The company has not yet released the full assessment publicly but said it would share the complete report with interested partners on request.
