Cotton Australia engages cotton growers, consultants, and representatives of industry bodies to provide strategic advice regarding CRDC investments and industry stewardship programs.

The Cotton Australia Member Representatives provide practical advice on research, The funding facilitated opportunities for the development of stakeholder capacity for providing advice on strategic cotton RD&E issues. and extension (RDE) needs, opportunities, and priorities. This advice is important guidance to CRDC in its formation of five-year Strategic R&D Plans, Annual Operational Plans, Expressions of Interest for RD&E and resultant CRDC decisions as to project investments.

Cotton Australia facilitates informal advisory panels that are aligned with the CRDC strategic plan priorities. The panels consist of up to 40 grower, consultant and ginners members from every cotton growing region.

The TIMS Committee is facilitated by Cotton Australia and the TIMS Technical Panels are facilitated by CRDC. TIMS functions as a cotton industry stewardship group, with broad representation from growers, research organisations, crop consultants and members of the pulse and grains industries. The agricultural chemical & biotechnology companies that provide crop protection tools to Australian cotton growers approach the TIMS Committee for advice on issues associated with developing or amending resistance management plans for new or existing technologies. Cotton Australia is represented by 6 grower representatives, the TIMS Committee Chair, the Chairs of the three technical panels and the Executive Officer.

The Cotton Biosecurity Reference Group (Cotton BRG) has traditionally met annually to ensure that the cotton industry’s responsibilities under the Emergency Plant Pest Response (EPPR) Deed are met. Development of an implementation plan through recent revision of the Industry Biosecurity Plan has led to a need to formalise this group to address key biosecurity needs of the industry. The IBG includes 1 grower and 1 staff representative of Cotton Australia as well as representatives from CRDC, CottonInfo, CSIRO, NSW DPI, QDAF, and a number of Australian Universities.

The Sustainability Working Group (SWG) manages the industry’s ongoing commitment to becoming the producer and supplier of the most environmentally and socially responsible cotton in the world. The SWG maintains oversight to ensure communication and coordination across a range of related cotton industry sustainability activities. The SWG is represented by 2 staff representatives each from CRDC and Cotton Australia, a cotton grower, ACSA, and representatives of the myBMP, Cotton To Market programs.