Textile organisations pledge to boost understanding of organic fibres
The Organic Trade Association (OTA) and Textile Exchange (TE) have joined forces to strengthen the organic textile industry's public policy influence.
The two groups signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) to work together on legislative advocacy, public outreach and consumer education initiatives.
A major goal of this new partnership will be to boost outreach to North American consumers on the benefits of organic fibre and textiles, particularly the environmental and social benefits of growing and processing them. Much of the current demand for organic cotton currently comes from manufacturers and brands.
US organic fibre sales were the fastest-growing non-food sector in 2014, reaching $1.1 billion, up 18% from the previous year, according to OTA's 2015 Organic Industry Survey.
The leading organic fibre is cotton. In 2014, U.S. growers planted organic cotton on 18,234 acres - the largest number of U.S. acres devoted to organic cotton since 1995. According to Textile Exchange's 2014 Organic Market Report, global sales of organic cotton products reached an estimated $15.7 billion in 2014, up 10 percent from 2013.
" People want to make organic a bigger part of their lifestyle, but they are often unaware of all the ways that organic fibre can contribute to human and planetary wellness, as well as social justice," said Marci Zaroff, Founder of Under the Canopy.
Both an OTA and Textile Exchange Board member, Zaroff was among those instrumental in submitting a petition to OTA to form the Fibre Council, and now serves as its chair.
