The fertilizers and pesticdes used during the plant groth can not be synthetic chemicals. There are currently two independent organic cotton certifications: OCS and GOTS. GOTS is the “green” standard to which Organic Cotton Textiles are produced. This is the web platform to share knowledge about organic cotton with the organic cotton community worldwide! In the United States, cotton plantations must also meet the requirements enforced by the National Organic … In fact, the extremely dry conditions in Texas forced farmers there to abandon more than 65 percent of their planted crop in 2011. Not just by the way its produced, but also by the way it affects people and their health and well being. Organic cotton is generally defined as cotton that is grown organically in subtropical countries such as India, Turkey, China, and parts of the USA from non-genetically modified plants, and without the use of any synthetic agricultural chemicals such as fertilizers or pesticides aside from the ones allowed by the certified organic labeling. “Our mission is to harness economic power—the strength of consumers, investors, businesses, and the marketplace—to create a socially just and environmentally sustainable society.”. There are no differences in the use, handfeel, or in any of the ways cotton can be proceessed or used. How fast is the organic fiber market growing? 32 However, this does not necessarily have to translate into a much higher price of the end-product as long as the percentage of … Learn more. It is mostly because it makes you feel very comfortable regardless of the temperature outside and it also encourage your skin to breathe while absorbing excess moisture. Congratulations patagonia for 20 years of organic cotton! Apparel companies are developing programs that either use 100 percent organically grown cotton, or blend small percentages of organic cotton with conventional cotton in their products. Read how a brave decision in 1996 transformed a … Another two percent net gain is in the five­-year forecast, bringing the total to 16,716 acres. Just register for the community space and contribute to the page content by uploading your key documents and tools. Chemicals used in the processing of cotton pollute the air and surface waters. However, very significant differences can lie in the sustainability benefits and impacts associated with organic agriculture and its production systems. These chemicals have tremendous impact on the earth’s air, water, soil, and the health of people in cotton-growing areas. It was first planted in the 1980s as an attempt to secure sustainable, ecological, and biodynamic agriculture. Organic Cotton Plus has been fortunate to have Sandra as an adviser on a number of issues through On The Mark Public Relations. [10], If certified by the USDA, organic cotton is grown without the use of synthetic pesticides[11]. 'Organic' cotton means no pesticides are used during the cultivation phase and is a legally recognised standard.The 'organic' does not refer to any other processes, except those used directly in the cultivation only, so the processing could be energy intensive. A canvas fabric that is strong and resilient, yet smooth on the surface. Companies reported significant growth in their organic cotton programs, and increased adoption of standards. As part of the OTA Fiber Council and US Representative for GOTS, Sandra Marquardt has been a steadfast leader in speaking about the GOTS standard and assisting companies make the transition. Step 3: Be an organic cotton … Its production is supposed to promote and enhance biodiversity and biological cycles. [4] In the 2016/2017 season, annual global production reached 3.2 million metric tonnes.[5][6]. Learn more about it to know how you can actively support it. Global Organic Cotton production jumped by more than 53% in 2006-2007 over that in 2005-2006, and then amazingly by almost 152% in 2007-2008. However, more people are becoming knowledgeable as to how the organic cotton movement is just as powerful and important as that of organic foods. However, organic growers are able to use a suite of organically approved pesticides, including pyrethrins from plant material, copper sulfate as a molluscicide and fungicide, and a range of insecticidal soaps, among others. “Our vision is that organic textiles will become a significant part of everyday life, enhancing people’s lives and the environment.Our mission is the development, implementation, verification, protection and promotion of the Global Organic Textile Standard (GOTS). Check out our questions and answers below. organic cotton farming system An organic cotton farming system is one that sustains the health of soils, ecosystems and people. Organic cotton is grown using methods and materials that have a low impact on the environment. The Global Organic Textile Standard (GOTS) is a processing standard for natural fibres such as cotton. More advanta Organic cotton is generally understood as cotton, from non genetically modified plants, that is certified to be grown without the use of any synthetic agricultural chemicals such as fertilizers or pesticides. Cotton yarn definition: cotton thread which is woven into fabric | Meaning, pronunciation, translations and examples Organic production systems replenish and maintain soil fertility, reduce the use of toxic and persistent pesticides and fertilizers, and build biologically diverse agriculture. Manufacturers of organic clothing strongly advertise that organic cotton clothing is better to wear, especially for babies. How is the apparel industry involved with organic cotton? People Tree Organic Cotton Chinos Step 2: Educate yourself. [23], Various industry initiatives[24] aim to support organic growers, and various companies, including Nike, Walmart, and C&A [25] now incorporate organic cotton as part of their supply chains[26], Discussion of this nomination can be found on the, Distribution of Organic Cotton Production, Learn how and when to remove this template message, "Your organic cotton t-shirt might be worse for the environment than regular cotton", "Yield and Economic Performance of Organic and Conventional Cotton-Based Farming Systems – Results from a Field Trial in India", "Choosing Organic Pesticides over Synthetic Pesticides May Not Effectively Mitigate Environmental Risk in Soybeans", https://www.isaaa.org/resources/publications/briefs/49/download/isaaa-brief-49-2014.pdf, https://www.karpasa.co.uk/blogs/news/gots-organiccotton, "How Cotton Water Management is Conserving Water Resources", "Environmental impacts of genetically modified (GM) crop use 1996–2013: Impacts on pesticide use and carbon emissions", https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Organic_cotton&oldid=992705328, Articles with incomplete citations from July 2020, Articles with incomplete citations from December 2020, Articles needing POV-check from August 2014, Articles containing potentially dated statements from 2007, All articles containing potentially dated statements, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License. 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