The organisation estimates that UK sales of clothing made from organic cotton reached between £85 million to £90 million last year, around 40 per cent up on 2007.

This follows the announcement at the start of April that organic cotton goods sales in the US had risen by 63%.

The Soil Association said: "When sales of other organic fibres such as wool and linen are taken into account, the market adds up to £100 million - a 25% increase on 2007."

On the High Street, lower-mid-market young women's fashion specialist retailer New Look sold more organic fibre garments in 2008 than Marks & Spencer (2.3 million compared to 1.1 million).

This represents a 50% increase for New Look compared to 2007. The chain now devotes 4.2% of its womenswear ranges to clothing made from organic cotton; the corresponding per centage for 2007 was 3%.

The Soil Association's report quotes New Look's buyer for organic clothing, Anna Greig: "I believe that as more people offer organic cotton, the need from customers to understand the certification involved will become greater. There will be a growing need for responsible retailers to offer organic cotton certified by a reputable organisation such as the Soil Association."

The report said that in predicting substantial growth in sales of organic clothing by 2012, it was taking into account that the current economic downturn was likely to slow growth down in the short term.

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