Sustainable Action Leadership

'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

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

AS REPORTED BY ECOTEXTILE NEWS: Working towards ‘better’ cotton
 

LONDON – [22.05.08] The ‘Better Cotton Initiative’ recently released the latest version of its global principles as it looks to refine its consultation document with a view to launching the final version of Better Cotton Initiative criteria in 2010.

The Better Cotton Initiative (BCI) was established in 2007 to promote improvements in the environmental and social impacts of cotton cultivation. The BCI intends to initiate global change in the mass market, with long-term benefits for the environment, farmers and other people dependent on cotton for their livelihood. Its charter is being developed through a collaborative multi-stakeholder approach involving global buyers of cotton products to grow the demand for larger amounts of ‘better cotton‘.

Unlike organic cotton, ‘Better Cotton’ allows the minimal use of pesticides by farmers and will ensure they are used safely and responsibly. It will also ensure that ‘better cotton’ is produced where water use is optimised (both irrigated and rain-fed) and that the water is extracted legally without adversely affecting groundwater or water bodies. Minimum tillage of soil and the use of cover and rotation crops will also apply.

After receiving, considering and incorporating feedback from this consultation period, BCI says it will work to design a recommended supply chain system and related work streams.  BCI’s current goal is to complete the supply chain system design at the end of 2008 and pilot the system in 2009 although it says it will not provide a labeling scheme for Better Cotton. For more information click here.

Sustainable Textiles.....

Here is the definition of Sustainable Textiles that I have been using the last two years in my  Eco-Innovations workshops

 

•  All materials and process inputs and outputs are safe for human and ecological health in all phases of the product life cycle.
• All energy, material and process inputs come from renewable or recycled sources.

• All materials are capable of returning safely to either natural systems or industrial systems.

• All stages in the product life cycle actively support the reuse or recycling of these materials at  the highest possible level of quality.

• All product life cycle stages enhance social well being.

Above Design by Harmony Art

 

Future Fashion White Papers: by Earthpledge Part II of II

" Good for Business, Good for the Environment"

Authored by Coral Rose

 Excerpt from Future Fashion White Pages: this is an excerpt click here to read in full version

I knew that the success of a test in organic cotton would depend on the desirability of the end product. Ladies' apparel happened to be the number one volume category of organic textiles, and also one of the fastest growing. Next, I looked for the number one category in ladies' wear: active wear. Where does organic cotton fit into activewear?

My answer was easy: yoga wear. I understood that organic cotton wasn't about trend. It was a lifestyle choice. The kind of person who would value organic would also probably value the comfort and health associated with yoga. So I developed yoga pants and tops in a selection of pastel colors. They were priced at a similar point as their conventional cotton counterparts would have been. My decision was logical, and based upon years of experience. We sold over 190,000 units in ten weeks, a number that speaks for itself.

What I learned, and what I'd like to drive home, is that it's about the item. The average Sam's Club member purchases on impulse. When she finds the right item, she will buy it. When she realizes it is organic, it fuels her enthusiasm. Organic cotton is a great added value for the consumer, but what makes her put down her money is finding the right item.

The yoga sets let me demonstrate decisively that choosing organic cotton could help a mass-market retailer meet or even surpass its immediate sales goals while doing the environment right. If I had developed the wrong yoga set, then the story would stop there. As it turns out, those yoga sets changed how retailers now view the opportunity to offer organic cotton to their customers, and it did transform a niche market fiber into a mass market fiber seemingly overnight.

Whether they're dealing in apparel or food, because of their sheer size, big box retailers are in a privileged position to make organic widely affordable. This is in part because of the relationship they can build with the farmers. One challenge for the organic cotton farmer is the fact that, unlike the conventional cotton farmer, he or she must plant a rotation crop in order to maintain soil health. Wal-Mart has transformed that handicap into an advantage. In many cases, it is able to offer a market for the rotation crop as well.

This affordability trickles down to the customer. Making organic affordable for consumers was one of my personal motivations.

I have found that one of the most effective ways to impress this philosophy onto the corporate team is to take as many of them as possible on a farm tour. In 2005, we took several Wal-Mart buyers and suppliers to tour organic cotton farms in California and Texas.

Together with my team, I watched as crop dusters sprayed the conventional cotton fields with chemicals to defoliate the leaves from the cotton plant. Then we visited an organic cotton field. Organically grown cotton uses a natural process occurring during a seasonal freeze for defoliation. The contrast between the two fields was clear. The conventional cotton was brown and lifeless; the organic cotton vibrant with leaves that were glossy and green. At lunch that day, we listened to a local doctor speak about treating her patients, primarily farm workers and their young children, who suffered from mild to life-threatening illnesses caused by the chemical spraying of agricultural fields.

Usually, a buyer or supplier would never step into a cotton field. They normally get involved at the yarn stage. However, all of those who participated said that they wished that their colleagues from every department in the company could have come along. Before they went on the tour, they were making decisions with the organic farming projects because of the corporate initiative. After the tour, they better understood the environmental and social repercussions of their purchasing decisions.

Though Wal-Mart has certainly been an important force for change in the area of organic cotton and environmental reform in general, many companies are realizing that considering environmental impact and social responsibility are as critical as (and, in the long run, inseparable from) economic growth.

I founded Eco-Innovations to support companies in integrating sustainable value into their services, strategies and products.

To order the entire book, Future Fashion White Pages, visit: www.earthpledge.org

Future Fashion White Papers: by Earthpledge Part I of II

"Good for Business, Good for the Environment"

Authored by Coral Rose of Eco-Innovations

 

Excerpt from Future Fashion White Pages: this is an excerpt click here to read in full version

In 2004, as the ladies' apparel buyer for Sam's Club, the warehouse club division of Wal-Mart Stores Inc., I found myself responsible for the economic, environmental and social impact of more than five million pounds of toxic chemicals used each year in the production of our conventional cotton merchandise. Of course, my job description did not specify those responsibilities; my conscience held me to them. I had experienced too much tragedy related to pesticide use to ignore the threat it poses.

I became aware of the danger of pesticides in the 1970s and 1980s with the malathion helicopter sprayings in the L.A. basin. First our family dog fell victim to pesticide poisoning. He developed numerous cancerous tumors all over his small body and, a short time later, one of the best friends anyone could have was buried.

I began to think, “Yikes, if that happened to Pee-Wee, what will happen to us?” A decade later, my mother passed away from cancer. Then a neighbor. At the same time, another neighbor (who survived) became ill with cancer. About five years later, my father passed away, also of cancer.

I am often asked, “If you don't eat it, why would you care if your t-shirt is organic?” I care
because of how cotton is produced. It is one of the most heavily sprayed crops in the world. Many of the agents used to spray cotton were originally developed in World War II as nerve gases. By the way, indirectly, you do eat cotton. Its oil can probably be found in your favorite junk food, and its seed is fed to the poultry and livestock that we in turn eat, and to the dairy cattle whose milk we drink.

Fortunately, cotton hasn't always been dependent upon chemicals. They have only been applied to cotton (and other farm products) in the last 60 years or so. Organic cotton, which is cultivated without these dangerous agents, is a completely viable alternative to conventional cotton.

As a buyer for a mass-market retailer, I realized that by buying organic cotton instead of conventional cotton, my colleagues and I could improve the quality of life of millions of people. After that insight, how could I not do something?

My perseverance resulted in a success story for Sam's Club and provided Wal-Mart with crucial economic evidence that doing the environment good would be good for business.

Continued in Part II

To order the entire book, Future Fashion White Pages, visit: www.earthpledge.org

 

THANK YOU.......

Thank you to all the regular readers of this blog, you have made this blog one of the
most searched for and read blogs on Organic Cotton, and Sustainable Fashion.... facts, practices and processes on the global internet.

Our regular readers are from every continent and dozens of countries including: France, Italy, Sweden, Ireland, Sri Lanka, South Africa, Australia and the UK.

Organic Cotton Fact Check.....There Are No Organic Cotton Monsters!!!!

This recent piece on the internet:

 The Walmart Organic Cotton Monster Is Loose And Hungry. Prepared To Be Stepped On!"  

Is an example of the misinformation that proliferates the market regarding organic cotton .

According to interviews with large producers of organic cotton, there is NOT a shortage of organic cotton. The organic cotton market, according to research and resources is NOT growing as quickly as has been reported.

Wal-Mart is being a responsible corporate citizen, by recently committing to NOT increase their usage of organic cotton after the 2009 season.

(Take note and read, my previous posts dated: May 2,3 and 4th which actually address all of these issues)

Wal-Mart and Sams Club entered the organic cotton market in 2004, yes... 2004 over four years ago. Take the time to Google “How Wal-Mart Became Organic” from Fortune Magazine for substantiation of this fact.

In 2004 plans and strategies were put into place by Wal-Mart and Sams Club, for the projection and usage of organic and transitional cotton. Four to five years ago consideration was taken for being a responsible corporate citizen and making sure that if Wal-Mart was successful in selling organic cotton, they would never infringe on the supply in such a way as to "step on others" as this article suggests!!! 

There  has been a committed group of  people at Wal-Mart the last four to five years ensuring that their participation in this market was indeed well thought out and responsible.

The misinformation as noted in the above internet article, is clearly conjecture.

World Fair Trade Day Today......

Via Smart Planet.com

World Fair Trade Day, which began in 2001, is the brainchild of fair trade fashion pioneer Safia Minney and International Fair Trade Association (IFAT) members. They decided to allocate the second Saturday in May each year to celebrating and creating awareness around fair trade.

And it seems they've done a good job of spreading the fair trade gospel. Research published by the Fairtrade Foundation today shows that 70 per cent of UK consumers now recognise the Fairtrade Mark, compared to 57 per cent in 2007.

The fair trade movement wouldn't have come this far without conscientious businesses throwing themselves into the challenge of changing the way we think of trade, consumption and not least producers. Whereas 'producer fairness' has probably always been high on the agenda for most of them, there's no doubt that 'fairness to planet' also plays a big role now.

We've asked three pioneering fair trade companies in the UK how fair trade and ecology coincide for them and this is what they told us:

-- Divine Fairtrade chocolate: "Kuapa Kokoo, the Ghanaian cooperative that co-owns Divine, runs training programmes for its members to increase awareness of ecological issues and to this end, they work to maintain the best environment for their cocoa to grow. This means using integrated pest management, growing trees in the shade of the rainforest canopy and ensuring no virgin forest is used for expanding farms. Their carbon footprint is very low, and further down the supply chain Divine does not use any air-freight and is continuing to develop increasingly environmentally friendly packaging."

-- People Tree Fairtrade fashion: "We [People Tree] enable farmers and producer groups to support the sustainable use of natural resources and biodegradable materials -- for example through our Organic Cotton project in Bangladesh and also through the production of the Bora Aksu dresses for World Fair Trade Day, which were created using only natural dyes."

-- Cafédirect Fairtrade Coffee: "Fighting poverty and protecting the environment go hand-in-hand for Cafédirect -- that's why the theme of this year's World Fair Trade Day is so important. There are no livelihoods more threatened by climate change than those of smallholder farmers in developingcontries -- the very people who are the heart of our company."

by Rikke Bruntse-Dahl