Organic Cotton

While conventional farming focuses on achieving maximum yields in the shortest period possible, ecological farming is concerned with sustaining natural resources for the long-term. This long-term effort includes conserving the fertility of soils and retaining the purity of potable water and the balance of the eco system. These goals are achieved by farming agrarian land as naturally as possible. Unfortunately, the current share of organic cotton in the production of cotton world-wide is a mere 0.7 per cent.

Eco-friendly cultivation
Organic cotton is grown using mixed cultivation and rotation of crops. What this means is that different species of plants are cultivated on the same field in an interchanging manner. Following this principle, farmers might grow sunflowers and mungo beans as well as chickpeas at the edge and the centre of the field, respectively. This makes it possible to grow crop plants for the farmer’s personal consumption in addition to the cotton, which helps retain the fertility of the soil in a natural manner.

Apart from promoting the richness of the species, the diversity of the fauna keeps the natural balance between useful animals and pests and, thereby, prevents pests from spreading. Similarly, since the added plants are more attractive than cotton to many insects, they are prevented from extensively infesting the cotton plants.
The production of fertilisers and plant protecting agents is free for the farmers and organic as the agents are made from compost, cow dung, and native plants.

Water consumption
An important aspect of organiclogical cultivation is the gentle handling of resources. With regard to cotton cultivation, this means, first and foremost, a reduced consumption of water. Cultivation takes climatic conditions into account to ensure that consumption is covered by the natural precipitation. If necessary, fields are supplied with water using the economic method of trickle irrigation which waters the plants continuously, yet with very small quantities of water.

Financial security for organic farmers
The low production costs resulting from the omission of expensive fertilisers and pesticides and the higher sales prices farmers can achieve by selling organic-quality cotton allow the farmers to earn higher net profits. What is more, long-term supply contracts guarantee them stable prices and sales volumes. These factors represent a decisive advantage over farms that are operated in the conventional way. Organic cotton, therefore, also contributes to the establishment of fair social standards.

Advantages to the consumers
The advantage to the consumers lies in the fact that organic cotton is not contaminated by harmful substances. This is guaranteed by the sustainable and eco-friendly processing of the raw cotton and also results in a controlled treatment of the waste water in the manufacturing facilitie

Economy of organic cotton
When compared to conventional farming, the yields achieved by organic cotton farming are lower. As it is more labour-intensive, farming fields in an ecological way costs more and is less efficient from the standpoint of achieving maximum yields in the short run. However, this environmentally compliant principle of operation saves large quantities of energy, chemicals, and potable water, protects precious eco systems, helps protect the rich diversity of flora and fauna, and improves the health and the economic situation of man. If you add the costs caused to society by environmental damage, consequential damage and the health problems experienced by the population as well as the costs for sewage disposal and the loss of farmland, drinking water and eco systems to the costs incurred during the production of conventional cotton, the price to be paid for these processes is more than likely much higher than the additional price of eco-friendly cotton

The GOTS certificatet
There is a multitude of different certificates that examine and approve organic cultivation in the eco-friendly cotton industry. Our organic cotton has been certified in accordance with the international “Global Organic Textile Standard” or GOTS. This seal of approval is awarded based on an extensive range of criteria and also guarantees fair social conditions at the production location.

For more information on GOTS guidelines, log on to:
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