Cotton is grown commercially using a large amount of pesticides and toxic chemicals designed to kill pests, insects, weeds, fungus, or any other kind of living thing. Many problems are associated with this production method, including loss of biodiversity and damage to ecosystems and wildlife, depletion of precious natural resources such as water and soil, and heavy contamination of water bodies.

However, cotton can be grown following the strict principles of organic agriculture, which uses no synthetic chemical pesticides, no synthetic fertilisers, and no Genetically Modified Organisms (GMOs).

Organic fertilizers (such as manure) and plantbased pest management products (such as neem or garlic extract) are used. The major principle is to restore a natural balance within farms, with healthy and well-structured soils, rich in organic matter.

Biodiversity (the diverse range of living species: plants, animals, microorganisms) and agro-diversity (the diverse range of crops planted by the farmer, as well as livestock) are integral parts of an organic farm.

The organic cotton fibre that is harvested is similar to most conventional cotton fibres, except that it is guaranteed non-GM, and is not contaminated with pesticides. The main difference is that the ecosystem where it has been produced has not been damaged, and chemicals have not poisoned the farmer and his or her family.

Cotton in conversion

The cotton produced while converting from conventional farming to organic farming is called ‘organic in conversion’. This is a necessary but difficult stage for any organic farmer, as the cotton may cost more to produce, but cannot be sold at the premium that certified organic cotton can achieve. Some companies have decided to incorporate this cotton into their conventional cotton production, as an indication to consumers of their support for, and understanding of, organic issues and forward thinking business ethics.

Fully organic cotton fibre is certified as an organic agricultural product, along with other crops on the farm, by a private certification body, which guarantees that the rigorous organic standards have been strictly followed. The UK-based Soil Association, for example, is one of over 100 such certification agencies worldwide, which are accredited and audited by various bodies such as the International Federation of Organic Agricultural Movement.

Therefore, the certification of cotton fibre as an organic agricultural product is extremely reliable. If the label of your T-shirt claims that it has been made with organic cotton, you can be confident that the cotton fibre has really been grown organically. However, the word ‘organic’ only refers to a guarantee on the growing stage of the cotton fibre, and not on the processing or the manufacturing, and there is still a long way from the fibre to a T-shirt.

Fibre processing

There are many stages required to process cotton from fibres to fabrics, including cleaning, combing, spinning, weaving, dyeing or bleaching. All these stages require a large number of chemicals of various toxicity and hazards.

Some of these chemicals threaten the health of workers, while others cause environmental pollution from the mills’ waste water. Finally, many of these chemicals are found as residues in the finished product, and some of them may affect the health of consumers, and are suspected to cause allergies, eczema, and even cancers.

In order to address those processing and manufacturing stages, a handful of organisations, mostly organic certification agencies, have developed their own private voluntary ‘organic’ or ‘sustainable’ standards for textiles, and are certifying finished products according to those standards.

Such organic certification agencies and their textile processing schemes include the Soil Association and the Control Union International (aka SKAL International). Most of these schemes are now being harmonised under a single Global Organic Textile Standard (GOTS).

And so, what we commonly call in Europe an ‘organic T-shirt’ is a T-shirt made with certified organic cotton fibre, and processed according to those textile processing standards. The certification agency then authorises the manufacturer to add its logo (or mark, or symbol) on the T-shirt’s label or their marketing literature. This is essential in order to recognise an organic T-shirt.

While the processing and manufacturing are not really ’organic’ in a similar way that agricultural products are ‘organic’, what those standards aim to achieve is to maintain the integrity of the organic nature of the fibre as much as possible. This is achieved by using as much organic material as possible, and by adopting alternative chemicals and processing practices that minimise the impact on the environment, and protect the health of consumers, while insuring textiles of high quality that are economically viable.

The Oeko-Tex Standard 100 Mark

Other standards exist to address the health and environmental issues of textiles, although they don’t require the cotton fibre to be organic. The Oeko-Tex Standard 100 Mark (or Öko-Tex) is probably the most widely recognised standard in textiles. It sets strict limits on the amount of substances harmful to consumers which can be found in the finished textile product. The mark states ‘Confidence in Textiles’ and is displayed on textile products that have been tested by one of the member institutes.

Although Oeko-Tex standards only specifically address consumers’ health issues, the necessity to comply with the criteria induces better environmental practices at the processing and manufacturing level, so the standards offer significant environmental benefits.

Another widely recognised standard is the European Eco-Label for Textile Products, which covers the whole supply chain from the fibre to the finished products. However, the criteria do not require the cotton fibre to be organic, and are often less stringent thatn Oeko-Tex standards with respect to consumers’ health.

Some companies go further, and open up their manufacturing processes and business practices to scrutiny by organisations set up to promote fair labour conditions such as the Fair Wear Foundation (FWF), which exists to promote fair labour conditions in the garment industry world wide.

Fair Trade

Fair Trade is a worldwide movement, which aims to ensure that producers in developing countries receive a fair price for their work, benefit from acceptable working conditions, and improve their livelihood. In contrast to organic agriculture, there are no public regulations for Fair Trade, and the Fair Trade movement is not formally unified.

The Fairtrade standards for cotton include environmental criteria, which mostly require farmers to work toward best environmental practices, and encourage them to convert to organic agriculture. However, Fairtrade certified cotton is not necessarily organic.

With respect to the rest of the supply chain (spinning, cut and sew, etc.) Fairtrade only guarantees that minimum social and environmental standards are met; the law of the particular country requires these minimum standards are met in any case.

This text has been heavily edited down from the PAN UK guide My Sustainable T-shirt.
The complete edition is available to read at: www.wearorganic.org

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