ORGANIC COTTON

ORGANIC COTTON                


 

 The Word Organic has become Buzz word for Healt these days .
When We dig in to our Indian past , the agriculture is of purely Organic using most natural Pesticides which enhanses the Soil fertility thus keeps Human , Earth and Environment safe and sound.

Organic cotton production does not simply mean replacing synthetic fertilizers and pesticides with organic ones.

Organic cultivation methods are based more on knowledge of agronomic processes than input-based conventional production is.

The systemic approach aims to establish a diverse and balanced farming ecosystem which ideally includes all types of crops and farm activities. Farms need to complete a two-year conversion period to change their production system from conventional to organic. An essential element of organic production is the careful selection of varieties adapted to local conditions in terms of climate, soil and robustness to pests and diseases.

Soil fertility management and crop nutrition are based on crop diversification and organic inputs such as compost, mulch and manures. Pest management measures focus essentially on pest prevention and the stimulation of a balanced agroecosystem through crop rotation, mixed cultivation, trap crops, and the use of natural pesticides when pest infestation rises above the economic threshold.

Organic cotton is cotton which is produced according to the internationally recognized organic farming standards of the  EU regulation 834/2007, of the USA National Organic Program (NOP), the Indian National Program for Organic Production (NPOP) or the Japanese Agricultural Standard (JAS).

Organic cotton is cotton that is produced and 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.

 

ORGANIC COTTON FARMING SYSTEM

An organic cotton farming system is one that sustains the health of soils, ecosystems and people. It relies on ecological processes, biodiversity and cycles adapted to local conditions rather than the use of artificial elements such as pesticides and other chemicals that cause adverse effects.

Organic farming combines tradition, innovation and science and promotes fair relationships and a good quality of life for everyone involved.

The organic cotton farming system can be applied at different scales. However, an average organic cotton farmer has only 4.3 hectares (one hectare equals approximately 2.5 acres), which indicates that organic farming systems are relatively small. The following diagram shows how an organic farming system might look on a small scale farm in India.

COMPARING CONVENTIONAL AND ORGANIC FARMING PRACTICES

 

 

ORGANIC COTTON IS BETTER FOR THE ENVIRONMENT

  

Reduces environmental footprint

 No toxic chemicals are used in the growing of organic cotton. It doesn’t damage the soil, has less impact on the air, and uses 71% less water and 62% less energy. Conventional cotton uses about 16% of the world’s insecticides and 7% of pesticides.

  

SOCIAL AND ECONOMIC BENEFITS

Promotes safe work & better livelihoods

Growing organic cotton keeps farmers and their families safe. They are not exposed to toxic chemicals in the field or through their food and water supply. It also means farmers grow more than one crop which supplements their food and income.

Social and economic impacts aren’t easy to quantify, but to provide an insight into the benefits experienced by organic cotton farmers, Textile Exchange carried out a Sustainability Assessment. The findings are:

 

IN SIMPLE TERMS…

In 2015, by growing organic instead of conventional cotton, we have:

  


  

Impacts our food system

Organic cotton is grown from organic cotton seeds. Cotton seed oil is used in a variety of food products such as cookies, chips and vegetable oil, and is also fed to livestock. So while cotton fiber is not something we put in our body, the by-product can make its way into our diets.

Model for the future

When you buy organic cotton you are investing in water conservation, cleaner air, better soil and farmer livelihoods. The price for organic cotton is therefore sometimes, but not always, higher. However, with demand on the rise, more choices will become available.

 

You can make a difference

 

Caring for the world and the people we share it with is a life choice. Choosing organic cotton is part of this choice. In 2015, 26 million metric tonnes of cotton was produced globally, much of it for the apparel industry. Organic cotton makes up less than 1% of this. By choosing organic over conventional cotton you have the purchasing power to influence brands, manufacturers and even farmers. So let’s change this number.

  Cotton Production Country Wise  2018-2019

Rank	Country	Production (1000 480 lb. Bales)
1	India	28,500
2	China	27,750
3	United States	22,000
4	Brazil	12,000
5	Pakistan	8,000
6	Turkey	4,100
7	Uzbekistan	3,125
8	Australia	2,200
9	Mexico	1,750
10	Greece	1,470
11	Benin	1,450
12	Mali	1,425
13	Burkina Faso	1,200
14	Argentina	1,180
15	Turkmenistan	1,150
16	Côte D'ivoire	830
17	Myanmar	700
18	Sudan	600
19	Cameroon	565
20	Tajikistan	450
21	Tanzania, United Republic Of	400
22	Azerbaijan	390
23	Egypt	350
24	Kazakhstan	345
25	Spain	300
26	Iran, Islamic Republic Of	275
27	Togo	265
28	Nigeria	235
29	South Africa	215
30	Zambia	210
31	Chad	200
32	Ethiopia	200
33	Zimbabwe	190
34	Syrian Arab Republic	140
35	Bangladesh	135
36	Uganda	125
37	Mozambique	115
38	Kyrgyzstan	110
39	Malawi	90
40	Venezuela	85
41	Peru	80
42	Afghanistan	65
43	Korea, Democratic People's Republic Of	55
44	Israel	45
45	Colombia	40
46	Senegal	35
47	Central African Republic	32
48	Madagascar	30
49	Ghana	28
50	Yemen	28
51	Kenya	25
52	Paraguay	21
53	Iraq	15
54	Congo, The Democratic Republic Of The	15
55	Guinea	14
56	Bulgaria	10
57	Nicaragua	10
58	Tunisia	10
59	Niger	9
60	Ecuador	9
61	Bolivia	8
62	Somalia	7
63	Sri Lanka	5
64	Angola	5
65	Haiti	5
66	Honduras	4
67	Cuba	4
68	Dominican Republic	3
69	Indonesia	3
70	Guatemala	3
71	Viet Nam	3
72	Thailand	2
73	Philippines	2
74	Morocco	1
75	El Salvador	1
76	Albania	1
77	Costa Rica	1

  

State wise area and production of cotton State			2017-18				2018-19 Estimated
Area (lakh ha)		Production (lakh bales)			Area (lakh ha)			Production (lakh bales)
AndhraPradesh	6.44			20.50		5.51			17.54
Gujarat	26.23			104.00		27.08			107.37
Haryana	6.69			22.50		6.65			22.37
Karnataka	5.46			18.00		5.48			18.07
MadhyaPradesh	6.03			20.50		6.97			23.70
Maharshtra	42.07			85.00		41.23			83.30
Odisha	1.45			3.50		1.57			3.79
Punjab	2.91			11.50		2.84			11.22
Rajasthan	5.84			22.00		4.96			18.68
Tamilnadu	1.85			5.50		0.21			0.62
Telangana	18.97			55.00		17.96			52.07
Others	0.50			2.00		0.17			0.68
India	124.44			370.00		120.64			358.70

 Source :  http://agricoop.nic.in/all-india-crop-situation

                                                                                                            

 

Benefits of Organic Cotton

Organic cotton shows great benefits at various levels of the value chain.

Farmers, traders, retailers and consumers all benefit from the economic, social and ecological advantages of organic cotton projects. Click on the buildings to see the benefits for each group:

 World Organic Cotton Statisticks 

                            


IN-CONVERSION ORGANIC COTTON
(HA LAND)
India                  172,180
Tanzania              18,409
Pakistan               12,283
China                     5,108
Turkey                   2,721

 

   

There are currently two independent organic certifications for organic cotton: Organic Content Standards (OCS) and Global Organic Textile Standard (GOTS).   The difference between the two standards are: