Amazon cotton programme to expand
Two textile companies in Peru, yarn producer Filasur and finished garment manufacturer Textil del Valle, have said they plan to expand a programme that involves replacing coca plants with organic cotton.
The partners launched the programme, which they have called ‘Algodón de Vida’ (or ‘Life-giving Cotton’), in 2020 across an area covering 2,000 hectares in the northern department of San Martín, in the upper part of the Peruvian Amazon rainforest.
Around 200 rural and indigenous communities have become involved in the project, growing cotton instead of coca. Current production is 2,500 tonnes of certified organic cotton per year.
‘Algodón de Vida’ works by giving community members certified seeds, approved fertiliser and technical advice and training to allow them to grow the cotton. Then, the project partners buy the cotton fibres back to spin them into yarns for use in clothing. Brands that have invested in the ‘Algodón de Vida’ products so far include Patagonia, Lululemon and Lacoste.
Now Textil del Valle and Filasur have told Forbes they will expand the programme to produce organic cotton on 10,000 hectares of land in San Martín.
