Organic Cotton-Myths and Realities

 

by Deborah Miarkowska

Organic Cotton-myths and realities. 

Robin Maynard (Soil Association), Simon Ferrigno (Director Organic Exchange Farm Development Programme)
Damien Sanfilippo (Pesticide Action Network) presented with passion and detail at the Cotton On Conference, held on World Fair Trade Day, 9th May 2009.

So what are the points under discussion and what did the experts have to say?

 It is estimated that in 2008 sales of organic clothing and textiles topped £100 million in the UK for s the market grows in size, more than ever before consumers tempted to choose organic fibres need to be able to distinguish rhetoric from reality. Our experts unravelled fact from fiction and leave us better informed when it comes to making the choice between organic and non-organic fibres.
Organic yields are a popular area of contention. Figures for yields of organic cotton can look very poor compared with yields quoted for conventional cotton, but do the figures for organic take all the benefits in account?
Organic cotton production comprises less than 0.1 percent of all global organic cotton production in 2005. Perhaps organic cotton is not the world-wide solution to sustainability some suggest? Is this drop in the ocean, too insignificant to have any beneficial impact, or is that missing the point?
Water usage is another hot topic. The conventional lobby agrees that cotton does not necessarily require excessive amounts of water, pointing out that cotton uses less water than many other major crops produced in the US. So why do we hear that cotton is unacceptably thirsty, organic cotton more so?

Higher costs are often associated with organic production, some claiming this can translate into premiums of 50% to 100% in raw fibre prices alone. We are told that premiums need only be a few percent, as the cost of the fibre is diluted by additional value added through the manufacturing supply chain. What should we really be paying for organic textiles?
Pesticide residue statisitics often look shocking, with one website for a major US retailer stating that 200,000 garments made from organic cotton saved enough pesticide to fill two jumbo jets. Can this really be true or can consumers relax about residues?
Genetically engineered crops are claimed to increase yields and reduce dependence on agrochemical inputs. Many NGO’s suggest that they do not increase yields, but rather, result in a tremendous increase in pesticide use, pose potential health threats to consumers as well as serious environmental impacts and only serve to significantly consolidate corporate control. Can GM really be this bad, or is this just and anti-corporate, anti-technology stance from a misinformed minority?

Robin introduced the workshop by discussing the perception of Organic and Fairtrade goods in general, citing that whilst the concept of Fairtrade is broadly understood, perceptions of Organic, particularly fibre production are less well understood. The media reports at the moment that peoples commitment to organic values are not great enough to continue buying in times of recession, where as in fact while some areas of organic sales have dropped others (such as box schemes and farmers markets have seen a continued growth).

• Pesticide and fertiliser uses on conventionally grown cotton. 25% and 10% of the world use of pesticide and fertilisers respectively is solely on cotton
• In the 1990’s approximately 50% of cotton workers showed adverse symptoms relating to pesticide exposure
• In the 1970’s a Swiss pesticide company was actively exposing cotton workers in Egypt to excessive spraying with pesticide to measure retention times in the human body. At the same time the same pesticide was banned in Europe.

Simon Ferigno of the Organic Exchange

Although around only 1% of global cotton production, organic cotton is now accepted as a part of the cotton industry. Simon explained that the role of Organic Exchange is to catalyse growth in sustainable organic cotton production, growth that is based on economic fairness and returns, transparency in the supply chain, promotion of the best practice business models, ensuring ethical conduct and good relations between farmers and the value chain - as well as environmental sustainability.

Simon then went on to discuss some of the negative aspects of conventional cotton farming, particularly the ‘pesticide treadmill’ which is a model to show how increased demand for cheap products, dependency on pesticides and seed technology can result in negative impacts on worker welfare.

In contrast organic cotton farming brings enormous benefits to the workers involved.
Organic cotton farming involves about 177,000 farmers over an area of 160,000 hectares. Due to support of projects like Organic Exchange a yield/hectare at least as high as the conventional methods has been achieved.

Organic growing has been seen to work best with marginal farmers who may not be able to afford the inputs and technology associated with conventional farms. Grown as part of a rotation with food crops and livestock to provide manure the reliance on these inputs is reduced. However in order to build a successful rural economy based on organic cotton farmers need access to services such as primary processing, logistics, landscape management etc.

Simon outlined the 4 core aspects for a sustainable system; Social, environmental / ecosystem, economic and technology / policy.

• Social aspects - organisation and involvement of farmers; support structures; Internal control; training and extension; capacity building; farmer involvement in markets and value addition

• Environmental and ecosystem aspects - agricultural environment and suitability; climate; rainfall; soil; biodiversity; livestock; seed availability; on-farm resources; water access and management

• Economic aspects - prices; credit and finance; trading and intermediaries; buyers; access to tools and equipment and livestock; farmer socio-economic profiles; secure markets and diverse markets; resilience against external shocks.

• Technology and policy aspects - research, seed breeding, infrastructure, regulatory systems, policy in favour or hindering organic, information access and management, visibility and transparency tools ; full cost system; access to resources of and knowledge of general research sector

In regard to pricing of organic cotton the 3 primary considerations are
• Cost of production
• Cost of basic needs
• Cost of development/maintenance of a healthy rural economy and landscape.

Organic Exchange are trying to ensure correct values and maintained within the organic cotton industry, this is likely to result eventually in a Guidance Code for Responsible Fibre Production and Trade to maintain the balance between social and developmental goals, environmental responses and the market. With the right tools and planning, organic cotton production can be sustainable and productive and deliver real benefits.

During a brief question and answer session at the end of Simon’s presentation the fact that no research evidence has been presented that suggests that water use on organic cotton farms is any higher than that of conventional farms. Largely organic farms are rain water fed, and where artificial irrigation is used efficient technologies are in place.
It was also emphasised that the organic systems create more paid labour in communities, reducing the dependence on family labour and allowing more opportunity for education.

Damien Sanfilippo, an environmental scientist from the Pesticide Action Network (PAN) then gave a presentation regarding their work related to organic cotton.

PAN’s primary objectives are to;
• Eliminate the hazards of pesticides
• Reduce dependence on pesticides and to
• Promote the sustainable and ecological alternatives to chemical pest control

Damien explained how PAN’s work puts the fashion industry in direct contact with the farmers providing them cotton in order to demonstrate the adverse conditions cotton growing creates for them.

Many cotton farmers equate pesticides with medicine; leading them into the misapprehension that if a pesticide isn’t making them ill, it isn’t working.
Due to the high cost of pesticides they are often the farmer’s most valuable possession, leading them to store them in their homes where they can directly contaminate members of the family and food.

As well as a dangers bought about by a very high usage per hectare, pesticides intended for cotton crops often end up being applied to food crops. The consumption of the resulting food, treated with substances never meant to be ingested can cause serious health problems.

 

Of the pesticides used on cotton;
• 30% contain suspected or proven carcinogens
• 43% contain endocrine disruptors and
• 35% are banned from use in the EU

There is currently no global monitoring of pesticide poisoning incidences.

As well as the health risks there are economic disadvantages conventional cotton farming brings to developing countries. For example the US conventional cotton industry is subsidised at $4 billion dollars. Whilst the US also provides aid to Mali (one of the major cotton growing countries of Africa) to the amount of $37 million dollars, it’s estimated that because Mali is unable to compete with the subsidised cotton grown in the US, they lose $43 million worth of trade.

Up to 60% of production costs associated with cotton farming are agro chemicals, any reduction in the dependency on these will increase the profitability for the farmers, and break the dependency on aid.

A significant social benefit Damien outlined is the empowerment of women through organic cotton farming. In many developing countries the majority of farmers rely on loans to purchase chemicals, equipment etc. in order to farm conventionally. These loans are almost exclusively available only to men. By allowing women to farm organically the reliance on theses loans is greatly, if not completely removed enabling women to farm independently and support their communities by paying schooling for their children.

Before summing up Damien described the growth of organic cotton farming over the last 20 years

As Simon had earlier pointed out organic cotton is a complex system that is still being analysed, understood and codified following the past two decades of experimentation and development. However the signs are promising, consumer awareness and demand for ethical fashion has increased triggering a 50% growth since 2002. It’s still felt however that much more of the fashion industry needs to be made aware of the averse effects conventional cotton farming has, and by contrast the benefits organic brings.

Damien concluded by summarizing the benefits of organic cotton;
• Similar yields and quantity
• Ensures food securiy (through both profit and food crops grown in rotation with cotton)
• Breaks aid dependency and debt cycle
• Protects farmers’ health
• Empowers women
• Improves farmers’ income and livelihood
• Offers a new model for the industry

Thank you to our inspiring speakers.