Latest data from Textile Exchange reveals that 2017/18 saw an impressive 56 percent rise in global production of organic cotton, with growth expected to continue.
Textile Exchange’s newly released Organic Cotton Market Report 2019, reveals that global production of organic cotton fiber reached 180,971 metric tonnes (MT) in 2017/18 – the highest volume seen since 2009/10 when the financial crisis led to a dramatic decline. This growth looks set to continue, with India, Tanzania, Turkey, Kyrgyzstan and China all having significant areas of cotton-growing land in transition to organic.
The Organic Cotton Market Report 2019 provides a unique overview of global organic cotton production, focusing on the 2017/18 harvest year but including both historical trends and future estimates at global, regional, and country levels. Also included are stakeholder maps identifying the key initiatives working hard to support organic cotton in each region, alongside latest updates from many of these programs as well as Q&As with industry insiders.
With the rise in awareness of the climate emergency that our planet is facing, Textile Exchange sees organic cotton as an important component to the myriad of solutions that are urgently needed. Liesl Truscott, Director of Europe & Materials Strategy at Textile Exchange, states:
“Organic cotton, alongside other organic land-based fibers, must be part of the future. Organic cotton farmers, organizations, companies, and other enablers represented in this report provide a guiding light. We are proud to bring you our 2019 Organic Cotton Market Report and are committed to leveraging organic cotton as a market-driven solution to industry transformation and meeting the Global Goals.”
Textile Exchange’s Managing Director, La Rhea Pepper, also believes wholeheartedly in the importance of this fiber in driving change:
“Organic production of cotton is the tip of the spear that has been driving change within the sector. It establishes a direction of travel for all of us, starting with regenerative soil practices.”