Sustainable Action Leadership

Agricultures Role in Mitigating Climate Change

What is carbon sequestering and how could it mitigate climate change?

Crops and other plants remove CO₂ from the atmosphere and, as they are harvested, their residue and roots are deposited into the soil where portions can remain for long periods as soil organic matter.

This process is known as carbon sequestration, plants and soils act as “sinks” for atmospheric carbon dioxide. Carbon “sequestered” in vegetation and soil is captured in the sink, providing a significant boost in the efforts to reduce greenhouse gases.

Carbon accumulation in agricultural soils can be greatly improved by various forms of conservation management, such as no‑till and replanting with grasses.  This carbon sequestration occurs because there is less soil disturbance and more carbon is added to the soil.  Benefits of carbon sequestration are increased soil fertility, reduced soil erosion and increased soil quality.

What is the largest source of carbon dioxide emissions in agriculture? 

The single main source of greenhouse gases in agriculture is from fertilizers: the production of fertilizer is an energy intensive process which uses fossil fuels as raw materials (mostly methane). When fertilizer is applied to the land it emits more nitrous oxide emissions. This results in the emission of large quantities of carbon dioxide and nitrous oxide. 

Fertilizers also acidify the soil, requiring the regular application of lime by farmers, in turn that process, produces more carbon dioxide. Fertilizers also have the effect of suppressing the soil micro-organisms that break down methane in the atmosphere. By reducing the soil oxidation rates, fertilizers cause there to be more methane in the atmosphere.

What is No-till farming?

Also known as conservation tillage or zero tillage, it is a way of growing crops from year to year without disturbing the soil through tillage.

Converting from conventional plow tillage to no-till practices is among the most cost-effective ways to reduce the buildup of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere. No-till also increases the accumulation of soil organic carbon, thereby resulting in sequestration of atmospheric carbon dioxide.

Changing tillage practices can:

• Reduce the need for fertilizer.
• Decrease emissions of oxides of nitrogen by applying nitrogen fertilizers only when and in quantities needed.
• Decrease the costs of chemical and mechanical treatments of crops and the labor they require.
• Reduce field activity with equipment, thereby reducing farm machinery emissions from fossil fuels.

What are some of the possible positive effects on agricultural that could result from climate change?

• Longer growing season due to higher average temperatures (more frost free days.)
• Opportunity for growing longer season, diversified crops, i.e. cover crops, winter wheat, corn, switch grass.
• More diversity in crop rotations, will give more options for disease, insect, weed controls.
• Shorter and milder winters (may lower heating requirements, reduce winter feeding,  easier winter grazing, less winter kill and risk to crops).

What are some of the potential agricultural risks that might be associated with Climate Change?

• Increased occurrences of extreme weather drought, flooding, heat waves, etc.
• Decreased soil moisture and water shortage and availability.
• Water will become more valuable, irrigation will become more costly.
• Accelerated wet and dry summer cycles from more extreme weather events.
• Input costs could increase, increased energy, higher fertilizer and chemical prices
• Extreme weather events may increase the risk of soil erosion and crop damage.
• Increased occurrence of forest fire and possibly grass fires.
• Increased pest infestations due to milder winters and longer growing seasons (which may      increase the need for pesticides).
• Crop price increases due to shortages and competition (market demand) for climate -  policy driven biofuel initiatives, animal feed costs may also increase.

How can organic agriculture effect climate change?

Rodale study; Organic Farming Sequesters Atmospheric Carbon and Nutrients in Soils

"Organic farming may be one of the most powerful tools in the fight against global warming." Findings from The Rodale Institute’s 23-year Farming Systems Trial® (FST) comparing organic and conventional cropping systems show organic/regenerative agriculture systems reduce carbon dioxide, a major greenhouse gases-positioning organic farming as a major player in efforts to slow climate change.

Besides being a significant underutilized carbon sink, organic systems use about one third less fossil fuel energy than that used in the conventional corn/soybean cropping systems. According to studies of the FST in collaboration with Dr. David Pimentel of Cornell University, this translates to less greenhouse gases emissions as farmers shift to organic production. The ability of organic agriculture to be both a significant carbon sink and to be less dependent on fossil fuel inputs has long-term implications for global agriculture and its role in air quality policies and programs.

The Rodale Institute’s 23-year findings show that organic grain production systems increase soil carbon 15 to 28%. Moreover, soil nitrogen in the organic systems increased 8 to 15%. The conventional system showed no significant increases in either soil carbon or nitrogen in the same time period. Soil carbon and nitrogen are major determinants of soil productivity.

Increasing soil organic matter for the soil’s carbon bank is a principle goal of organic agriculture. Organic agriculture relies on the carbon bank and stimulated soil microbial communities to increase soil fertility, improve plant health, and support competitive crop yields. This approach utilizes the natural carbon cycle to reduce the use of purchased synthetic inputs, increase energy resource efficiency, improve economic returns for farmers, and reduce toxic effects of fertilizers and pesticides on human health and the environment. 

Organic farming can play a major role in addressing climate change.

“Organic agriculture’s use of compost and crop diversity means it will also be able to better withstand the higher temperatures and more variable rainfall expected with global warming. Organic agriculture is about optimizing yields under all conditions,” says Louise Luttikholt, strategic relations manager at the International Federation of Organic Agriculture (IFOAM) in Bonn, Germany. IFOAM is the international umbrella organization of organic agriculture movements around the world.” For example, a village in the Tigray region of northern Ethiopia that had converted to organic agriculture continued to harvest crops even during a severe drought, while neighboring villages using conventional chemical fertilizers had nothing, Luttikholt told IPS. Because compost is used rather than chemical fertilizers, organic soils contain much more humus and organic carbon — which in turn retains much more water. They can also absorb more water faster which means they are less likely to flood,” she said

Resources;

USDA; http://www.nrcs.usda.gov/Technical/land/pubs/ib3text.html
FAO; http://www.fao.org/DOCREP/005/Y4137E/y4137e02b.htm
Rodale; http://www.strauscom.com/rodale-release/
Rodale; http://www.strauscom.com/rodale-whitepaper/
Soil Association; www.soilassociation.org

Better Get Efficient...and Fast

by Andrew Winston (posted here)

It's pretty clear that the business world is facing dramatic change driven by environmental concerns. Over the coming years and decades, we're going to change the entire energy system and find new ways to design, make, ship, sell, and consume things. While it's uncertain if quality of life will suffer (and I hope not), the quantity of resources used will change dramatically - e.g., using a lot less energy, or at least carbon-driven energy, to power our lives.

And this change is becoming a business imperative regardless of whether you buy the climate change argument (and I really don't want to open that can of worms from my last post ). Just looking at the high price of everything from metals to food to fuels, the case for being radically more resource efficient is getting clearer every day. What's also clear is that the world can't currently provide for what will be nine or ten billion people who all want our lifestyle (the government of China has set a goal of moving half its population into the middle class by 2020 - that's 600 million people; if they all use oil at our rate, China alone will need more than the world produces by 2030 or so). At current technologies and modes of production, there isn't enough stuff. So there's a business need and a system overload requirement that we innovate and do more with less.

But don't just take my word for it...............................

The Wall Street Journal ran a stunning article recently that I've been mulling over for awhile and needed to get my head around. It was titled, "New Limits to Growth Revive Malthusian Fears." The shocking part of this article was the fact that it didn't malign the idea that we may run out of things, which Milton Friedman-esque business people have been laughing at for 200 years (since Thomas Malthus first drew an exponential population chart plotted against a geometric resource growth chart and said we'd all starve). Yes, those doomsayers have been very wrong in critical ways, mainly related to our ability to innovate and substitute out of products when we found new options (like from whale oil to kerosene to oil).

But the Journal was deadly serious, talking about resources like water that we can't substitute our way out of. The related point was that there's really nothing left to substitute to -- we know where pretty much everything is. Two quotes were fascinating: "Record highs in the prices for oil, wheat, copper...are signs of a lasting shift in demand as yet unmatched by supply". The "as yet" is a big qualifier, but it feels a bit like wishful thinking, especially given the second quote from ConocoPhillips CEO James Mulva: "I don't think we are going to see the [oil] supply going over 100 million barrels a day, and the reason is: Where is all that going to come from?" So even the oil CEOs are telling us there's not enough stuff.

So what does this mean for business and how is it connected to the green movement? First, rising prices for nearly everything mean we're entering the big leagues. Whether you call it "green" or "eco-efficiency" doesn't matter; either way, all the efficiency tools we have - such as total quality, lean manufacturing, six sigma - are going to be put to the test. If your company has a knack for cutting out waste and reducing resource use, it will survive and thrive. If you can't reduce your reliance on fossil fuels in your whole value chain - from sourcing to manufacturing to distribution - you may be in trouble.

Second, if you can offer a new "supply" to help bolster that side of the Econ 101 curves, you will have a giant market to satisfy (those billions of consumers). And I'm talking about smart supply growth, not the corn ethanol kind that actually exacerbates all of our problems. I'm talking new low-carbon energy, water saving technologies and processes, good design principles, building efficiency, and on and on.

The mad race for renewable energy technologies and the dramatic shift in car offerings are good examples. The venture capital money flowing to new technologies easily recalls the Internet boom. But is this one a bubble? It might be, but these entrepreneurs are working to satisfy existing multi-trillion dollar energy and resource markets, not trying to create new markets or needs. So money from the biggest, smartest names in Silicon Valley is flowing freely. This is a very good thing. There will be a shakeout, but some winners will win big.

As demand for resources outstrips supply, the Journal worried, what if countries just try to grab what's left in a big resource fight? Companies might go down a biggest is best path as well. But won't the best companies profit much more if they just find a way to need less? And won't the competitors that help their customers use less do extremely well?

Fair Trade-Organic Coffee........Part III of III

                      

Saving the planet one cup at a time…..

Café Bom Dia (click here) (Portuguese: "coffee good morning")

Café Bom Dia’s story began in 1895, when the Marques De Paiva family planted its first coffee seeds in Brazil’s lush tropical farmlands. The region’s legendary sun, mineral-rich soil and tropical mountains proved to be the perfect setting for growing for quality, low-acid coffees. Now a century later, Café Bom Dia is one of Brazil’s great coffee companies and a supplier to the world.

As fourth generation farmers, the family behind Café Bom Dia believes in protecting the earth and supporting small-scale, independent farmers.

Café Bom Dia uses locally available coffee tree and eucalyptus wood as renewable fuel for its roasting facility. As a participant in the USDA Forest Stewardship Program, Café Bom Dia plants back lumbered trees at the same rate to ensure reforestation.

Cafe Bom Dia's integrated tree to shelf approach means coffee travels fewer miles before reaching the retailer and we rely on recycled shipping pallets that may be reused at their global destination. These steps and an aggressive effort to measure, reduce and offset its CO2 emissions led to Café Bom Dia’s certification as the first CarbonNeutral® coffee company in the world.

In addition to our USDA Organics, Rainforest Alliance and Fair Trade Certified ™ products, we are proud of our company-wide commitment to environmental and social movements.

Information as reported on Cafe Bom Dia's website click here.
 

Fair Trade-Organic Coffee........Part II of III

Coffee for a cause or known as, The “Cause” coffee market goes mainstream............... 

Q. Why would consumers care about making sure that they choose coffee that is Organic, Fair Trade or Fair Trade Organic?

A. Because, It takes one pound of chemical inputs to produce a pound of coffee.

Looking at these few facts, we should all be buying 'cause coffee'

• 108 million people in the U.S. drank coffee yesterday.

• At 2.3 billion pounds each year, Americans consume more coffee than any other nation. For every daily coffee drinker in the U.S., there is one worker elsewhere in the world who depends on coffee for his or her livelihood. 

• Of the 25 “biodiversity hotspots” identified by Conservation International, 13 overlap with coffee growing areas.

Its Good for business also..... 

The total US coffee market reached a value of $29.3 billion in 2006. 

Fair Trade coffee grew by 54% between 2001 and 2006, and now represents 2.2% of coffee sold in the US. Fair Trade certified, Rainforest Alliance certified and organic certified coffees all experienced substantial growth in 2006. 

Organic coffee sales were up 22.5% in 2006 to $109 million.  Organic coffees can also provide farmers with a premium ranging from $0.15 to $0.30 per pound, giving them an inducement to cultivate their crops in a sustainable way. 

Fair Trade coffee is  the largest segment of the cause coffee market in the US, representing an estimated 2.2% of total coffee sales in terms of value in the US, up from 1.9% in 2005 according to Datamonitor estimates. 78% of the Fair Trade coffee sold in the US is also Certified Organic. 

At present, 75% of Fair Trade certified coffee in the US market is supplied from Latin American countries, with Nicaragua and Mexico supplying 17% of total Fair Trade coffee each.

According to TransFair, by the end of the first half of 2006, Fair Trade certified coffee had generated an additional $83.3 billion towards farmer income, due to the higher prices paid to farmers. 

While certified prices vary, in the first half of 2006 Fair Trade certified beans cost $1.07 per pound, while the International Coffee Organization ( ICO) average price per pound was $0.84. 

Financial incentives are not just restricted to the farmers. On average Fair Trade coffee can expect to command a 15% premium, and the growth in sales over the last few years demonstrates that there is significant growing demand. 

According to research carried out by Fair Trade, 68% of respondents were willing to pay more for Fair Trade certified coffee, while specialty coffee drinkers were willing to pay the highest premium prices for their product with 60% indicating that they were willing to pay more than a 5% premium for Fair Trade certified coffee and 22% were willing to pay more than a 15% premium price.

Sources: (Datamonitor 2007/US Retail and Foodservice Coffee/Complete Review of Coffee Markets, TransFair Almanac 2007)

Fair Trade/ Organic Coffee Resources:

Equal Exchange

Fairtrade Labeling Organization (FLO)

The Organic Trade Association Coffee Collaboration

TransFair

Watch Fair Trade the MOVIE here.
 

Fair Trade-Organic Coffee........Part I of III

My concern with the amount of chemicals used in coffee growing, started the evening following the evening, that my granddaughter and I celebrated œEarth Hour. Earlier that day when she called asking to stay the night, I said great, but from 8-9pm we have to turn off all the lights, her response was "œWhy?" and ...........œ"What will we do?"

Well I said "œWhat did people do 50 years ago?" A great place to get grounded in what our parents and grandparents did with their Saturday nights not so long ago..........

While many pose the question, shouldn't every hour be Earth Hour? it seems Earth Hour has become the 'unofficial' kickoff to what is now being pegged as "Earth Month" previously known as Earth Day.

Earth Month "My Coffee AHA!" ............

Wal-Mart kicked off Earth Month with some great T.V. commercials, one of which highlighted a woman sitting next to a stream proclaiming  "If all of us bought a bag of Sam's Choice organic coffee, all 200 million of us, the number of customers that shop at Wal-Mart every week, ”that would save 133 million pounds of harmful chemicals from the earth!!!!"

Fresh off of two weeks work updating the chemicals used in cotton--my immediate thought....this cant be right---next step,”hit the internet---Walmart.com/green---there it was..

"œ200 million bags of USDA Certified organic coffee (10oz) would prevent 133 Million pounds of fertilizers and chemicals from being released into the environment. One bag of USDA Certified organic coffee helps prevent 0.665 pounds of fertilizers and chemicals from being released into the environment. 200 million bags of USDA Certified organic coffee helps prevent 133 Million pounds of fertilizers and chemicals from being released into the environment."Source:http://walmart.triaddigital.com/Sustainability-Page_ektid39886.aspx

Coffee equation:

One bag is 10ounces-or .665 pounds or  One bag of 12 ounces-or .75 pounds

200 million bags of 10-12oz coffee =2 billion ounces

2 billion ounces=125-133 million pounds 

WOW...... I had no idea that coffee had such huge environmental and social impacts---that would mean that coffee was a 1 to 1 ratio, ”chemical pounds  to product pounds, ”this couldn™t be right, ”cotton ”which I am fairly knowledgeable about (see previous posts)---is touted as one of the most heavily chemical intensive crops in the world ”at 2.86 ounces of chemicals per pound of cotton grown---a mere 1/3 of the coffee claim.....

So, if coffees impact is one pound of chemicals for every pound of coffee, why had I never heard about this?

Next step; contact Wal-Mart,”to ask for the back up documents to these claims........

I was impressed by the Wal-Mart promise of transparency--not only the web-posted
Sustainability Substantiation but in the prompt reply my email received.

I was put in contact with the coffee supplier Cafe Bom Dia, the local office here in Northwest Arkansas, and the New York office as well, they immediately sent me all the back up documents from their agronomist.

After spending about a week conducting due diligence, including a third party check of all the information........

YES, indeed the inputs to coffee growing-is about one pound of chemicals-to one pound of coffee*--

I had no idea that my morning cup of Joe was so damaging to the planet!!!! *Note: Almost all of the chemical inputs are in the fertilizer category--not pesticides.

More on Cafe Bom Dia.... continued in Part III........

Fair Trade 101

What is the difference between Fairtrade and Fair Trade?

The term Fairtrade is used to describe the certification and labeling system governed by FLO designed to allow consumers to identify goods produced under agreed labor and environmental standards.

The term Fair Trade is used to refer to the Fair Trade movement as a whole and can be used to describe both labeled and unlabelled goods and the work of Alternative Trade Organizations (ATOs), Fair Trade federations and networks such as IFAT, NEWS, and EFTA etc. The term Fair Trade is a broader term often used to describe one or many of the above, but can also occasionally be used to refer to trade justice issues. In such cases, it can be as broad as to describe general fairness in trade, such as tariffs, subsidies, worker rights and other issues.

Fair Trade certification is a market-based model of international trade that benefits over one million farmers and farm workers in 58 developing countries across Africa, Asia and Latin America.

Fair Trade is sometimes used interchangeably with Ethical Trading, however, they are very distinct from one another.

Ethical Trading means companies are involved in a process of ensuring that the basic labor rights of the employees of their third world suppliers are respected.

The FAIRTRADE Mark, applies to products rather than companies.

The FAIRTRADE Mark; Core Standards and practice behind the Five Guarantees;

• · Guarantees farmers a fair and stable price for their products.
• · Extra income for farmers and estate workers to improve their lives.
• · A greater respect for the environment.
• · Small farmers a stronger position in world markets.
• · Closer link between consumers and producers. 

Roots of Fair Trade can be traced back to projects initiated by churches in North America and Europe in the late 1940s. Their goal was to provide relief to refugees and other poverty stricken communities by selling their handicrafts to Northern markets. Alternative Trade Organizations (ATOs) offered higher returns to producers in the developing world through direct trade and fair prices. In the US, ATOs such as Ten Thousand Villages and Equal Exchange, are worker owned co-operatives, formed to import Fair Trade crafts and coffee to the US market.

In 1988, world coffee prices began a sharp descent, triggering the birth of the first Fair Trade certification initiative.. The Netherland's Max Havelaar label offered mainstream coffee industry players the opportunity to adopt a standardized system of Fair Trade criteria.

Fairtrade Labelling Organizations International (FLO) is the 'umbrella organization' that establishes Fair Trade standards, globally for the industry using a multi-stakeholder process involving producers, workers, mission-based companies, conventional traders and third party certification labeling Initiatives like TransFair USA.

Which products are Fair Trade Certified™ in the U.S.?

TransFair USA began certifying coffee in 1998 and has since expanded to include tea and herbs, cocoa and chocolate, fresh fruit, sugar, rice, and spices. TransFair is currently investigating the potential to certify additional products. Fair Trade Certified flowers, cotton, honey, sports balls, wine and beer are available in the European market. TransFair does not certify handicrafts.

TransFair does not certify COTTON.

Q. Are Fairtrade products organic?

A. Fair Trade standards require sustainable farming techniques and offer price premiums for organic production, However,  Fair Trade certification does not guarantee that a product was organically grown.

Fair Trade farmers are more likely to use sustainable, traditional growing methods rather than apply agrochemicals, and producer groups frequently use Fair Trade revenues to train members in environmentally sustainable farming practices and to finance the cost of organic certification. “FLO encourages producers to work towards organic certification” (FLO, 2003).

Resources:

Redressing a Global Inbalance: The Case for FairTrade Certified Cotton
Source: Fairtrade Foundation Briefing Paper

Fair Trade Garment Standards Feasibility Study
Source: TransFair

FLO
Fair Trade Foundation
TransFair
Oxfam 

Currently The United Nations “Least Developed” Countries are the only countries eligible for Fairtrade certification.                           

Watch Fair Trade the MOVIE here.

In Honor of Memorial Day 2008

'Fair Trade Cotton'........Part II of II

One of the most common fairtrade questions is.....

What is the difference between Fairtrade clothing and Ethical clothing?

Fairtrade is often confused with ethical trade but they are different. Ethical trading (or sourcing) is a business model that aims to ensure that acceptable minimum labor standards are met in the supply chains of the whole range of a company's products. Fairtrade specifically aims to improve the position of marginalized producers, and enable trade to contribute to sustainable development initiatives that have a wider community benefit.

Key unique aspects of Fairtrade are that:

• There is a focus on disadvantaged smallholders at the bottom of supply chains.

• Producers receive a fair and stable price which covers the costs of sustainable production a Fairtrade premium for investment in social development projects.

• It helps producer groups organize themselves democratically to protect their rights.

• It empowers producer groups through provision of information on markets and supply chains

• It uses the FAIRTRADE Mark as a tool to build a social consumer movement pushing for change in global trading.

Social Benefits of Fair Trade

International Labor Organization (ILO)

The Fairtade Labelling Organizations International or (FLO) requires that the International Labor Organization’s (ILO) Conventions must be followed. Fair Trade organizations and cooperatives must abide by these standards, and take steps to ensure farmer’s workers follow them as well. Forced or bonded labor is prohibited, as is child labor that is hazardous or interferes with the child’s education. Children cannot be hired under the age of 15. Workers must enjoy freedom of association and collective bargaining. They must be employed under fair conditions, and paid at least the national minimum wage. Hazards in the work environment must be minimized as much as is possible. 

• Each stage in the commercial supply chain to process Fair Trade Certified cotton from raw cotton into  its final product must demonstrate compliance with ILO international labour standards. In the production of all cotton, company and sub-contracted companies within in the supply chain, including those doing the ginning, spinning, weaving, knitting and dyeing, etc. of the cotton, must clearly demonstrate they are in  compliance with ILO Labor Standards. Including holding an International Fair Trade Association (IFAT) membership certificate or demonstrating that      the company is a worker’s cooperative. 

Fairtrade Cotton Good For Business Too:

Fairtrade Market Doubles in One Year!!!!
As recently reported here in EcoTextileNews :

"Global demand for Fairtrade cotton has doubled in just one year according to the latest figures available from Fairtrade Labelling Organisations International (FLO) with worldwide sales of all Fairtrade products rising by 47% on last year."

'FairTrade Cotton'........Part I of II

Fairtrade certified cotton carrying the FAIRTRADE Mark was launched internationally in April 2005. Fairtrade certification of cotton is currently helping over 95,000 people - farmers, workers and their families - to improve their lives, as well as the wider community, through receipt of a fair price for their cotton and a Fairtrade premium.

Fairtrade cotton is cotton which has met the international Fairtrade standard for production of seed cotton and is therefore eligible to carry the FAIRTRADE Mark. The Mark is an independent product certification label which guarantees that cotton farmers are getting a better deal - receiving a fair and stable Fairtrade price and Fairtrade premium, receiving pre-financing where requested and benefiting from longer-term, more direct trading relationships. The Fairtrade minimum price is set at the farm gate level and is based on actual costs of sustainable production. If the local market price is higher than this minimum price, then the market price applies. An additional payment of a Fairtrade premium is set aside for farmers’ organizations to spend on social and environmental projects or to strengthen their businesses. This ensures that communities have the power and resources to invest in long-term improvements. Elected farmer committees decide democratically how these premiums are spent.

Q. Is Fairtrade cotton organic? If it isn’t, what is Fairtrade doing about the issues of chemicals in the cotton farming industry?

A. Fair Trade standards require sustainable farming techniques and offer price premiums for organic production,

However,  Fair Trade certification does not guarantee that a product was organically grown.

Fair Trade farmers are more likely to use sustainable, traditional growing methods rather than apply agrochemicals, and producer groups frequently use Fair Trade revenues to train members in environmentally sustainable farming practices and to finance the cost of organic certification. “FLO encourages producers to work towards organic certification” (FLO, 2003).

As of November 2005, 50 cotton producer groups have been Fairtrade certified, 8 of which also have organic certification.

"Fairtrade standards do encourage producers to become certified organic however we do not require all Fairtrade certified producer groups to farm organically."(FLO 2006)

Where farmers are not certified organic, they are required to implement a system of integrated crop management (ICM) which enables them to establish a balance between environmental protection and business results through the permanent monitoring of economic and environmental indicators.

This integrated crop farming approach progressively replaces traditional inputs with organic fertilizers and biological disease control and enables farmers to convert gradually to organic farming.

All Fairtrade certified cotton producers are required to demonstrate increased diligence in choosing appropriate non-harmful chemicals or a biological or home-made alternative wherever possible. As would be expected, this means that pesticides in the Pesticide Action Network’s “dirty dozen” list and pesticides in FAO/UNEP's Prior Informed Consent Procedure list cannot be used.

Does FLO have standards for Cotton?

International (FLO) standards have now been developed for raw cotton (seed cotton) that will guarantee certified farmers a fair and sustainable price for the cotton that they sell into Fairtrade registered supply chains. Fairtrade seed cotton is the harvested cotton crop (seeds and fiber), sold by small farmers of a FLO certified smallholder organization. Except where specifically provided in these standards, all cotton in FLO Fairtrade Cotton products must be sourced originally from FLO Certified Producers.

FLO has published two types of standards for cotton cultivation. Under the umbrella of “Fairtrade Standards for small farmers”, there are;

•  Fair trade standards for cotton seed which were first design for African cotton then expanded to India and Pakistan.

• Fair trade standards for contract production of cotton in India and Pakistan (FLO, 2005). They take into account the existence of promoting bodies such as AGROCEL and Maikaal which are specific to this geographical area. 

Where does Fairtrade cotton come from and what difference will it make?

Farmers’ groups are from India, Peru, Mali, Cameroon, Burkina Faso, Senegal and Egypt. For these cotton farmers the guaranteed Fairtrade minimum price, which covers the cost of sustainable production, can make a crucial difference to their ability to meet their basic needs. There are plans to extend certification to more producer groups from countries including Pakistan and Brazil.

How does a company get the Fairtrade label for a cotton product?

The FAIRTRADE Mark certifies individual products and not whole companies. The Mark indicates that the products have complied with internationally agreed standards for Fairtrade certification. Fairtrade certified cotton products are sourced from smallholder cooperatives that are independently certified by our international body, Fairtrade Labelling Organizations International (FLO). All the traders in the supply chain have been registered with the Fairtrade system and work to our trading standards. These include sourcing from certified associations of smallholders, paying the agreed minimum Fairtrade price and social premium, providing pre-financing where requested, committing to long-term, more direct trading relationships, and independent auditing of their supply chains. Any company that is able to comply with these trading standards for their products is eligible to apply for the FAIRTRADE Mark.

NOTE: Under the Fairtrade MARK it is only the cotton that is certified Fairtrade. Not the yarn, fabric or garment.

Therefore a product can only be referred to as Fairtrade Cotton NOT for example a Fairtrade cotton shirt.
Proper labeling: “Made with FAIRTRADE Certified Cotton”

Each stage in the commercial supply chain to process Fair Trade Certified cotton from raw cotton into its final product must demonstrate compliance with ILO international labour standards. In the production of all cotton, company and sub-contracted companies within in the supply chain, including those doing the ginning, spinning, weaving, knitting and dyeing, etc. of the cotton, must clearly demonstrate they are in compliance with ILO Labor Standards. Including holding an International Fair Trade Association (IFAT) membership certificate or demonstrating that the company is a worker’s cooperative.

Is there a Fairtrade 'mark' for Fairtrade Certified Cotton?
Yes. As noted above.

For further information visit FLO's website.

Picking Cotton............

As you educate yourself on the sustainable textile market, there are more than a few types of cotton to chose from……..

• Organic Cotton
• Fair Trade Cotton
• Fair Trade Organic Cotton
• Colored Cotton-Organic
• Recycled Cotton
• Conventional Cotton: NON-GM
• Conventional Cotton: Genetically Modified-Roundup Ready (RR) and or BT

Sustainable Cotton; (A hotly debated and officially undefined term) does include agricultural practices such as Biodyanimic, IPM (BMP-the debate here is if conventional cotton should be included in Better Management Practices-if indeed the conventional cotton industry is practicing BMP), also considered 'Sustainable' is the Sustainable Cotton Project and the Better Cotton Initiative BCI.

Not be left out this category, I would include:Cotton in Tranistion or In Conversion-There is a 3 year period under the NOP Standard, and a 2 year period under the EEC 2092/2091. Cotton in transition, transitional cotton or cotton in conversion, is cotton being grown on land in the transitional period according to the above organic standards at this time in the US a declaration of "in-conversion" is not allowed under the NOP Standard. In the EU it is acceptable to use the term "in conversion."

Read here how Wal-Mart is supporting Farmers during the Transition to Organic growing phase.

"Better" cotton........Part II of II

The Sustainable Cotton Project

According to the SCP (Sustainable Cotton Project) Cleaner Cotton™ is Sustainable Cotton.

So just what is Sustainable Cotton?

Sustainable Cotton encompasses biologically-based, IPM, and organic farming practices in the production, manufacturing and use of cotton. The Sustainable Cotton Project’s grower programs help move farmers through the changeover from chemically-dependent to more biological sound approaches. Composted manures and cover crops replace synthetic fertilizers; innovative weeding strategies are used instead of herbicides; beneficial insects and trap crops control insect pests; and alternatives to toxic defoliants prepare plants for harvest.

The ultimate goal of the Sustainable Cotton Campaign is to move sustainable production, manufacturing and use practices throughout the cotton value chain in order to create a healthy and profitable industry for growers, their communities, manufacturers, retailers and users of all cotton products.

About the SCP

Located in the world's most productive agricultural region–California's Central Valley–the Sustainable Cotton Project (SCP) focuses on the production and use of cotton, one of the most widely grown and chemical-intensive crops in the world.

Since 1994, SCP has been building bridges between farmers, manufacturers and consumers to pioneer markets for certified organically grown and sustainable cotton, including working on the ground with local farmers. SCP's guiding philosophy of "cooperation for a change" has fostered a new level of shared information among farmers, manufacturers and others in support of creating a cleaner cotton industry.

In 2003, SCP joined with the Community Alliance with Family Farmers (CAFF) to strengthen its operation and reach into farm and consumer audiences. CAFF and SCP are collaborating to provide growers with information about biological farming techniques and to educate the public about the importance of reducing chemical use in food and fiber production.

All information reported as posted on Sustainable Cotton Project's website click here