A space station in the US will provide up to a million dollars in funding to scientists and researchers who can come up ways to make cotton farming more effective and sustainable. The space station is Center for the Advancement of Science in Space (CASIS). In other words an orbiting laboratory is assisting in better farming practices. Some of the ways in which the station could help in the effort include using the station's high-altitude vantage point, which could provide the agricultural community with unique perspectives on sustainable crop production and water use. Or scientists could use the microgravity environment on the station to study how cotton crops respond to different environments and conditions.

CASIS is encouraging researchers to submit proposals in areas of fluid dynamics, fluid flow, cotton and plant germination. The world produces more than 25 million tons of cotton a year, To produce just a kilogram of cotton requires between 10,000 to 20,000 liters of water.

While the economic and personal benefits of cotton are well-understood, the environmental impacts of cotton production are significant. The intensive use of agricultural chemicals in cotton farming and production can have severe health impacts on workers and the surrounding ecosystems.