EcoZeal

Organic cotton production is the only farming system by which cotton is produced entirely free of chemical pesticides – and thereby without the risks that such chemicals pose to human health and the environment.

Over the last few decades organic cotton production has grown from just 30 farmers producing 113 tonnes of cotton fibre, to a global total of more than 31000 tonnes. While these figures represent only a small fraction (0.15%) of world cotton production, they represent an important proof of principle that contemporary cotton production can occur without the use of hazardous pesticides.

Cotton, the most important fibre crop of India plays a dominant role in its agrarian and industrial economy. It is the backbone of our textile industry, accounting for 70% of total fibre consumption in textile sector, and 38% of the country’s export. Area under cotton cultivation in India is the highest in the world – 25% of the world area and employs seven million people for their living.

Demand for organic products among Western consumers is substantial, and growing. In a 2005 survey prepared by Ipsos MORI almost half of British consumers reported buying organic products, with many registering environmental concerns among those that shape the way they shop.

In 2003, UK market growth for organic cotton was estimated at 38% per year, and continues to grow at a steady rate. To add to this, major clothing retailers, including Wal-Mart, Harrods, Marks and Spencer, Coop Switzerland and Italia, Migros, and Monoprix are all now offering organic clothing ranges.

The growth in sales of organic cotton products is greatly enhanced by the existence of comprehensive labeling systems which enable consumers in the developed world to make informed choices about the type of cotton they wish to purchase.

This vital connection, which endows the global cotton supply chain with a degree of transparency and traceability, may be our best hope to date of harnessing the concerns of those in the West as a powerful economic force for improving the lives of the million of people who work to grow cotton in the developing world.

Source: Development Demographics