Conference on Organic Cotton Draws Growers, Manufacturers,
Retailers
September 13, 1993
On September 7th and 8th, 250 people gathered in Visalia,
California for the second annual National Conference on Organic
Cotton. Organic farmers, cotton ginners, retail companies,
environmentalists and researchers came together in a unique
cross-industry forum to discuss the future of organic cotton.
The conference, which was organized by the California Institute
for Rural Studies and co-sponsored by PAN NA, included a fashion
show of the latest styles of organic clothing.
Cotton is the world's largest cash crop and one of the
heaviest pesticide users. Although it occupies only 3% of total
farmland, cotton uses 25% of the world's chemical fertilizers and
pesticides. Half of the 660 million pounds of pesticides used in
the developing world are applied to cotton. In California alone,
10-17 million pounds of pesticides were applied to cotton each
year for the past 10 years. Despite this heavy chemical use,
weeds and pests continue to develop resistance to major cotton
pesticides, creating an endless cycle of increasing applications
and growing resistance.
In 1992, California had 1,000 acres of certified organic
cotton, with an additional 2,000 acres in pending status. Land
in organic production must be managed without synthetic
fertilizers or pesticides for three years prior to the harvest of
a certified crop. Texas is also a leader in organic cotton
cultivation. Techniques for organic cotton farming include
rotation and trap crops, beneficial insect releases, defoliation
with non-toxic nutrients and micro- management of fertility,
pests and irrigation.
The conference had panels on the organic cotton industry,
natural resource concerns, regulatory issues and
prospects/problems for organic cotton growers and clothing
companies. The overall sense of the meeting was that the market
for organic cotton is growing rapidly and there are tremendous
opportunities for both growers and manufactures, despite some
problems. These problems include locating enough certified
organic cotton supplies to meet current demands, educating
consumers about the benefits of organic clothing and developing
enforceable certification standards in the U.S. and abroad.
Many growers spoke during the conference. Lorna McMahon,
a cotton farmer in Tennessee, said that after 50 years organic
agriculture is putting farmers back into the driver's seat and
taking control away from banks, chemical companies and the
government. Steve Pavich, a grower from California, said that
for the first time organic cotton allows farmers to get better
prices for better environmental practices. Speaking about
farmworkers, attorney Bill Monning explained that cotton farms
are the third largest source of reported pesticide illnesses in
California and that organic cotton will help reduce this high
illness rate. Retails companies, such as ESPRIT and Patagonia,
spoke about their commitment to organic cotton and sustainable
manufacturing process.
From an international perspective, Arif Jamal, a PAN
participant from Sudan, spoke about the extremely heavy use of
pesticides on cotton in his country. Sudan gets 40% of its
national income from cotton exports but is experiencing massive
pesticide problems. In the 1920s, Sudan harvested approximately
1,300 kilograms of cotton per acre but now harvests a mere 200
kg. per acre, an 85% reduction. In the 1980s, cotton farmers
sprayed 12-14 applications of DDT per season. Carina Weber, from
PAN Germany, explained that the demand for organic cotton is high
in her country but "green" labeling by the government is
misleading and needs to reflect more environmental and social
concerns. The conference also included farmer delegations from
Israel and Australia
Contact/Source: Will Allen, California Institute for Rural
Studies, PO Box 2143, Davis, CA 95617, phone: 916-756-6555, fax:
916-756-7429 and PAN NA.
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