Who is OTA/OFC?

The Organic Trade Association is the organization representing organic businesses in North America. Its Fiber Council (OFC), of which I am the coordinator, was established in 1997 to focus on issues particular to the organic fiber industry, including organically grown cotton, wool, flax and hemp.

What is Organic Cotton?

The term “organic” refers to the way agricultural products-whether food or fiber- are grown and processed. The word “organic” on the label stand for a commitment to a system of agriculture that strives for balance with nature, using methods and materials that are of low impact to the environment. “Certified organic” means an independent organization verifies that the company meets or exceeds defined organic standards.

The final rule defining “organic” were published December 21, 2000 by the
U.S. Department of Agriculture. The rule prohibits the use of genetic engineering, irradiation or sewage sludge as well as toxic and persistent synthetic pesticides and synthetic fertilizers in organic agriculture and processing. The rule, issued 10 years after passage of the Organic Foods Production Act in 1990, will take effect in February and be fully implemented by the end of 2002.

The publishing of this new rule is important as it creates strict and standardized criteria that will facilitate trade within the U.S. and internationally. More in-depth information and the new rule is available online at www.ams.usda.gov/nop. For more information, contact OTA at www.ota.com. (USDA 2000)

Why Are Companies Asking for Organically Grown Cotton?

Many apparel and textile companies are considering ways to make their product lines more environmentally sustainable in the long term. They know, for example, that in 1999, cotton was the second most heavily pesticide sprayed crop (behind only corn) with approximately 81 million pounds of pesticides were applied to upland cotton in the US (USDA/NASS 2000,) approximately 1/10 of that in California alone. (CDPR 2000)

In addition, apparel companies are being asked by consumers who are concerned about the use of both pesticides and genetically engineered crops, and are scrutinizing their environmental practices.