What does organic cotton mean?
Cotton grows on large plantations in tropical and subtropical areas. The cotton fibre is obtained from the seed hairs, which are processed into cotton threads. Our clothes, for example, are made from them. Conventional cultivation not only requires a lot of water, but also uses abundant pesticides. More than ten percent of all pesticides used worldwide are used in cotton cultivation. With organic cotton, farmers do not use pesticides at all. This means that groundwater and soil are spared. Moreover, the workers do not come into contact with the toxic substances. Despite all this, the cotton plant needs a lot of water, which is why organic cotton relies on special water management. Farmers learn how to irrigate their fields sustainably. Organic farming also prohibits them from planting genetically modified crops. Most farmers are usually smallholders and come from India and China, where conditions are optimal for organic cultivation. Unfortunately, a major shift towards organic cotton is not yet noticeable in the global market. The market share of organic cotton is currently just under one percent - but the trend is rising.