FASHION: organic cotton farming

At the United Nations Sustainable Development Summit in 2015, world leaders took up the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, which includes a set of 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

the report on organic cotton and the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals discusses how organic cotton farming plays a role in assisting countries and rural communities to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals.

Millions of people around the world live in rural communities depending on farming. Holistic organic farming systems based on the organic principles of health, ecology, fairness and care, build thriving and resilient communities that attract people to stay on the land rather than move to cities, regenerating and nurturing the earth, its resources, and its people.

The UNDP has identified three priority SDGs - 1: End Poverty, 10: Reduced Inequalities, 16: Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions, as central to its strategic plan. Organic cotton makes a significant contribution to all three - providing a market-driven solution to poverty, reducing inequality

by raising farm incomes, and promoting inclusive societies through its reliance on cooperative working. Organic “cotton” is the vehicle to organic “communities” and success depends upon SDG 17: Partnership for the Goals, building committed, interdependent supply networks that share risk and reward. Below we summarize how organic cotton farming is a positive contributor to all 17 SDGs.

NO POVERTY ZERO HUNGER

Organic cotton is cotton that is produced within an organic farm system along with other crops.

The land is certified to organic agricultural standards. Its production sustains the health of soils, ecosystems and people by using natural processes rather than artificial inputs. Importantly, organic cotton farming does not allow the use of toxic chemicals or GMOs (genetically modified organisms). Instead, it combines tradition, innovation and science to benefit the shared environment and promote a good quality of life for all involved.

NO POVERTY 

Organic cotton is a market-driven solution to poverty. Farmers can earn more, spend less on inputs such as agrichemicals, and decouple from the commodity market.Intercrops and rotational crops, such as legumes, grains, vegetables, fruits and flowers, play a key role in livelihood options by shifting farmers to more diverse incomes and reducing reliance on a monocrop commodity culture.

ZERO HUNGER

Organic cotton is grown alongside and in rotation with food crops.Seed can be saved and sold locally, reducing reliance on seed companies and providing additional incomes. Cotton harvests also produce cottonseed, processed into oil or animal feed. The demand for non-GMO cottonseed is growing rapidly. Improved incomes enable livestock rearing, diversifying diets and providing valuable farmyard manure.

GOOD HEALTH AND WELLBEING

Organic cotton farmers and their families are not exposed to toxic chemicals.Nutritional needs are met through the production of food crops such as grains, legumes, vegetables and fruits, grown in rotation with cotton or intercropped. Many organic cotton-growing communities are able to offer at least primary health care locally with health centers funded in part by fairer prices to the farmers and supply chain partnerships.

QUALITY EDUCATION

Higher returns result in organic cotton farming communities being able to offer quality education, often through the investments of supply chain partners.Women’s organic cotton cooperatives and farmers are earning their own income, which they tend to prioritize in schooling. Organic farming offers lifelong learning opportunities - and jobs - in both organic food and fiber, and value-add opportunities such as tailoring and the textiles sector.

GENDER EQUALITY

Many organic cotton farmers are women, particularly in African and Asian countries. Approximately 10% of certified organic farmers globally are women.In progressive producer groups, women are in leadership positions such as providing training and maintaining organic farm records, and are even land owners. Other opportunities include producing bio inputs to sell, running micro-businesses producing seed, and value-addition such as food processing and textile handicrafts. Organic cotton production has put nations rich and poor on par with one another. China, India, Tanzania, Turkey, and the USA are the top 5 growing nations.Higher financial returns help raise the local income, empowering farmers and elevating them into positions of leadership and governance within rural communities. In some communities, organic is viewed as a “female’s crop”, giving women the opportunity to organize and make decisions away from competition with men.

CLEAN WATER & SANITATION

As organic cotton does not use toxic pesticides or synthetic fertilizers, it does not cause chemical contamination of local water sources.Organic soil is more able to retain water, increasing water efficiency. While not exclusive to organic, “rainwater harvesting” helps solve potable and non-potable water needs such as irrigation, hygiene, and even consumption challenges.

AFFORDABLE CLEAN ENERGY

Organic farming communities are increasingly using solar and biogas as an energy source, particularly where access to electricity is limited, such as in some regions of Africa and India.In Tanzania, smokeless ovens are being incorporated into the Swiss Coop and Remei AG farm investment program, resulting in healthier cooking environments and helping the company become carbon neutral.

    WORK & ECONOMIC GROWTH

Globally, approximately 200,000 people are certified to organic standards, mostly smallholder farmers. Many more are farming to organic or agro-ecological criteria.Principles of health, ecology, fairness and care are the basis of organic agriculture. Breach of human rights is prohibited. Many organic farmers, particularly in Africa and India, are also certified to Fair Trade standards, allowing them to benefit from additional social and trading guidelines. Organic cotton production is the basis for the new global textile infrastructure – sustainable, ethical, transparent, and verified.

Organic cotton is increasingly not only grown but also made into textiles in dedicated, committed supply networks – thus reducing risk for farmers and providing the infrastructure for a resilient, interdependent and innovative industry that can compete globally.

SUSTAINABLE CITIES AND COMMUNITIES

Higher financial returns, absence of toxic chemicals (and illness), alongside the satisfaction of working in harmony with nature, encourage more people to stay on the land, with evidence of reverse migration in parts of India.Increased value placed on organic farming empowers small-scale farmers to take more pride and responsibility for local development, and results in autonomous, resilient rural communities with reduced dependency on donor funding. Many organic cotton farming operations are cooperatives, respecting democracy, interdependency, stability, human rights and effective governance.

Organic cotton projects are farmer-centric, respectful of gender, and promote local leadership to strengthen the participation of communities, and countries, in national governance and international partnerships. A fundamental element of organic cotton production is its strong commitment to global partnerships and cooperation - recognizing the interdependencies at play.

Organic cotton production promotes international trade, helping developing countries increase export of high value cash crops, while fostering local markets for fresh food provision. Organic helps further an equitable trading system that is fair, open and benefits all.

CLIMATE ACTION

Organic “life choices”, whether at the farm, the factory, in retail or in the home, promote healthy choices for all.Organic food, always grown in rotation or intercropped with organic cotton, ensures safe, chemical-free consumption. There is evidence of local staple food varieties being preserved through organic systems. Organic cotton itself also produces food - cottonseed oil - used in a wide range of organic foods. Organic soils sequester more carbon as a key component in soil building and improved soil fertility.

Synthetic nitrogen fertilizer – known to result in the release of ozone destroying nitrous oxide – is prohibited for use in organic agriculture. Crop diversification helps reduce risk and protects farmers’ livelihoods in times of climate change, providing some protection against the impacts of flooding or drought. By eliminating toxic and persistent pesticides, organic cotton production is a proactive contributor to clean and healthy water used locally, and which ultimately runs into the oceans.

Likewise, the elimination of artificial fertilizers (nitrates and phosphates) from organic farming reduces the nutrient load and run-off into surface waterways. Organic cotton farms build strong soils and biodiversity by rotating crops, minimizing tillage, and planting cover crops.

As toxic chemicals are not used in organic farming, these farms and neighbouring wild areas become a safe haven for a diverse array of plants and animals to thrive in. Clearing of primary ecosystems is prohibited, and strict standards address organic forest and grazing land management.