Top brands for organic cotton named
26/05/2010
This represents a 35% increase from the $3.2 billion market in 2008 and indicates little change from the 40% average annual growth rate the organic cotton market has experienced since 2001.
The report named the top 12 brands worldwide for use of organic cotton. The list is as follows: C&A (Belgium), Nike, Inc. (US), Walmart (US), Williams-Sonoma, Inc. (US, recorded last year as Pottery Barn), H&M (Sweden), Anvil Knitwear (US), Coop Switzerland, Greensource Organic Clothing Co. (US), Levi Strauss & Co. (US), Target (US), adidas (Germany), and Nordstrom (US).
“Many people thought the recession would mean an end to all things organic, but the market reacted in quite the opposite way,” said LaRhea Pepper, OE senior director and co-author of the report. “Consumers dug in their heels and continued to support the use of organic cotton and other sustainable fibres, while brands and retailer maintained or even expanded their commitments to making their product lines more sustainable by continuing to increase their use of such fibres and safer manufacturing processes.”
OE projects the global organic cotton market will grow by between 20% and 40% in both 2010 and 2011 to result in an estimated $5.1 billion market in 2010 and $6.0 billion market in 2011.
The report suggested that continued rapid expansion of the global organic cotton market was driven in large measure by consumer interest in ‘green’ products, significant expansion of existing organic cotton programmes by brands and retailers, and the launch of organic cotton programmes by new entrants to the market.
Organic cotton production in the 2008–09 growing season increased by 20% compared to the 2007–08 figure, from 145,872 tonnes to 175,113 tonnes. The report recognised 22 producing countries who, together, devoted 253,000 hectares to organic cotton production.
Organic production is based on a system of farming that maintains and replenishes soil fertility without the use of toxic and persistent pesticides and fertilizers or genetically modified seeds. Some industry observers have suggested too little of the money organic cotton generates at retail is reaching farmers.
Share this story:
