Fairtrade & Organic Cotton
Fairtrade & Organic Cotton…Your choice for lasting change
Did you know…
The economies of some of the worlds poorest countries are dependent upon cotton. Predominantly a smallholder cash crop, cotton is important at both local and national levels.
- Two-thirds of the world’s cotton is produced in developing countries.
- 100 million rural households are involved in cotton production
- 40% of West Africas exports consist of cotton
- Conventional cotton growers use more than 10% of the worlds pesticides & nearly 25% of the worlds insectisides.
But the price that farmers in the developing countries receive for their high quality cotton is driven down by Northern subsidies and competition from synthetic fibres.
Fairtrade cotton brings many social and environmental benefits to the farmers involved in its cultivation.
Social & Economic Benefits:
Increased Income: Fairtrade guarantees farmers a better price for their cotton. THis means they are more able to support their families and invest in their farms. Housing can be improved, children can stay at school and farmers can choose to stay on their land instead of being forced to migrate to cities.
Community Development
The Fairtrade price includes a premium that is set aside to invest in socila and environmental projects. THis ensures that communities have the ability to fund long-term improvement. Elected farmer committees decide democratically how these premiums are spent. In India, farmers have agreed to spend the premium on health insurance, water conservation and income generating schemes.
Strength in togetherness
Fairtrade certification requires frmers to organise themselves into associations or co-operatives. THis leads to the pooling of resources and puts them in a stronger position of selling their cotton.
Environmental Benefits
The pressure to increase yields by using more chemicals in conventional cotton farming threatens human health and environmental sustainability. Fairtrade farmers are committed to reducing chemical use and protecting the environment.
Reducing Impact:
Fairtrade cotton farmers reduce and replace conventional pesticides and fertilisers with natural alternatives. Many can then go one step further and convert to organic cotton production.
Non GM
Fairtrade standards prohibit the use of genetically modified cotton seed.
Crop Diversification
Farmers introduce other crops into the rotation patterns, diversying income and improving soil fertility.
Choosing Fairtrade certified cotton from reputable organisations that convert the cotton into garments in a fair trade manner gives small-scale farmers the power to improve their livelihoods.
Look for the fairtrade mark your independent guaratee that products have been made using fairtrade certified cotton.
