Research reveals sustainability benefits of Fairtrade organic cotton
A study unveiled at the International Fairtrade Textile Forum in Paris said Fairtrade cotton in India is “associated with better environmental outcomes”.
Commissioned by Fairtrade India, the study was conducted in six of the top cotton-producing states in India and was designed to detect differences between farms that are Fairtrade and organic certified, farms that are non-Fairtrade and using conventional methods, and some variations in between.
Cotton that was both Fairtrade and organic or converting to organic outperformed conventional cotton in the areas of greenhouse gas emissions, water usage, and avoidance of chemicals, according to the study.
Fairtrade organic cotton had a 45% lower figure for greenhouse gas emissions, at 862 kg carbon dioxide equivalent (CO2e) per hectare, compared to 1,563 kg CO2e per hectare for non-Fairtrade cotton, the study found.
It also found that 96% of Fairtrade organic and in-conversion farmers avoid chemical pesticide use altogether, compared to 60% of non-Fairtrade conventional farmers.
Fairtrade organic and in-conversion farmers get 20% more cotton from their water use, as measured by water productivity rates of 0.30 kg/m³ compared to 0.25 kg/m³ for non-Fairtrade farmers. At the same time, the Fairtrade organic and in-conversion farmers use 14% less water than conventional farmers, with a water footprint of 4,410 litres/kg of cotton, compared to 5,156 litres/kg.
At the same time, Fairtrade organic farmers earned 4.8% more on average than non-Fairtrade conventional farmers, $898.80 per tonne of seed cotton compared to $858.
"India is the world’s second-largest producer of cotton, which means adoption of sustainable cotton production practices can play a vital role in addressing climate change while also contributing to greener and fairer fashion,” said the chief executive of Fairtrade India, Abhishek Jani.
