Something more than a feelgood story is needed to entice cotton farmers into organic production as the pay-off from organic cotton in terms of healthier soils, communities and wildlife are worth the effort from an environmental point of view, according to Anita Chester, head-Sustainable Raw Materials, Laudes Foundation (earlier known as C&A Foundation).
“Organic cotton is a sustainable choice, but still makes up a tiny proportion of global cotton supply. India is the largest producer, accounting for 56 per cent of the world’s organic cotton; yet it represents just one per cent of India’s total cotton production,” writes Chester in an article in the hard bound fifth edition of the Sustainability Compendium – ‘Going Circular’ brought out by Fibre2Fashion.
Farmers need sustained support to make the transition and achieve organic certification. “There must be an economic incentive in the form of genuine market demand; brands and consumers alike need to show greater willingness to pay a fair price for a premium product,” she adds in her article ‘Material Matters’.
