Organic cotton group mobilizes farmers and brands to grow organic cotton industry

In its impact report for 2022-23, the Organic Cotton Accelerator (OCA) highlights significant strides in advancing organic cotton farming practices and driving systemic change in the textile industry. It calls for more investments and industry-wide adoption of organic cotton as well as support of in-conversion cotton farmers to increase global supply.

Through its Farm Programme, OCA has mobilized a growing number of brands and retailers and empowered organic farmers to transition to organic. In 2022-23, over 70,000 participating farmers harvested cotton across nearly 225,000 acres.

“We believe in the power of organic cotton to transform the textile industry,” says Ruud Schute, OCA Programme Director.

India and Pakistan are adopting organic cotton in significant numbers, and Turkey shows interest. OCA prioritizes farmers’ financial stability and improves access to training. Over 35,000 in the Farm Programme are in-conversion farmers. OCA’s goal is to align the procurement rate of in-conversion cotton, 75%, to the rate of certified organic cotton, 84%.

The Farm Programme encourages regenerative practices beyond certification requirements, to include social and environmental impacts. A Life Cycle Assessment dashboard enables brands to report greenhouse gas reductions at the regional level in India; it is also implementing a trial for biodiversity monitoring.

Source: Organic Cotton Accelerator

To view source article, visit:
https://organiccottonaccelerator.org/news_article/oca-reports-growth-in-organic-cotton-and-calls-for-immediate-scaling/

Organic & Non-GMO Insights August 2024