Jeansland Podcast
This is why I do this. Jeansland is a podcast about the ecosystem in which jeans live. There are an estimated 26 million cotton farmers around the world, and about 25% of their production goes into jeans, which could mean 6.2 million farmers depend on denim. I read estimates that at least 1 million people work in retail selling jeans, and another 1.5 to 2 million sew them. And then there are all the label producers, pattern makers, laundries, chemical companies, machinery producers, and those that work in denim mills. I mean, the jeans industry, which is bigger than the global movie and music business combined, employs a lot of human beings. And many of them, like me, love jeans. The French philosopher and existentialist Simone de Beauvoir, when visiting New York, said, "Everyone in the New York subway is a novel." I never met her, but I guess she made the observation because of the incredible diversity of people who ride the subway system. I'm convinced the people in our jeans industry are like those in the subway. They are unique, with rich and complex stories to tell, and I want to hear them. And deep inside me, I think you might feel the same way.
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Jeansland Podcast
Ep 53—Water: Above and Below | Part Two: Will You Help?
This is Part 2 of our two-part Jeansland special, Water: Above and Below.
In this episode, we continue the conversation with Rick Kellison and Brent Crossland, shifting from understanding the water problem to confronting what it will take to address it. The focus turns to the future of the TAWC (Texas Alliance for Water Conservation) project, why its work matters, and why keeping it funded is critical for farmers, brands, and the broader industry.
We talk about how farmers balance environmental responsibility with economic reality, why profitability is essential to sustainability, and why real progress happens when farmers teach farmers in the field, not on slides. The discussion also widens to water use beyond agriculture, including AI data centers, oil and gas, and the growing competition for finite water resources.
This episode is a direct call to action. For brands, retailers, and anyone serious about water, food, and fiber, the question becomes simple and uncomfortable. Will you help support the research, education, and knowledge sharing that agriculture will depend on in the decades ahead?
If you haven’t listened to Part 1 yet, it’s worth beginning here. This episode then carries the conversation forward into the harder questions and what’s truly at stake.
Thank you to our sponsor Inside Denim.
Brent Crossland Linked-In
Rick Kellison Linked-In
Texas Alliance for Water Conservation TAWC