On the Square

Sustainable Cotton Goes Global

By Drew Harris
dharris@meistermedia.com

Wherever I go, the issue of sustainability seems to follow me. When I first heard the word “sustainable” used as a buzzword in the mainstream media, I wasn’t sure if the idea would stick. I considered that “sustainability” could be a fad, a corporate gimmick. “Here we go again,” I thought to myself. “Another marketing trend popping up that will be here today and gone tomorrow – like bellbottom jeans or short shorts on men (no one wants to see those gangly white legs anyway).

After a few years of weathering the scrutinizing storm of public opinion, sustainability is not only here to stay, but it is a key driver for many business sectors, especially the global cotton and textile industries. Passing the time during a layover in the Amsterdam airport last month while traveling to the 29th International Cotton Conference in Bremen for sister publication Cotton International Magazine, I started reading the latest issue of Outside, a consumer publication focusing on outdoor sports, travel and adventure. The edition was the publication’s second annual “Green” issue, focusing on everything from eco-friendly vacations to new environmentally conscious modes of transportation like a new electric scooter with enough horsepower to drive on the freeway. There were even a couple of short articles on natural fibers and organic cotton clothing. A mass shift in cotton production to organic is not feasible – that would not be a sustainable choice for the growing populations of the world – but organics do play an important niche role in sustainable cotton. Actors and well-heeled activists in New York and London may drive this trend, but I am not sure if the everyday working consumer is willing to pay three times as much for his or her underwear.

California cotton producer and Cotton Grower Achievement Award winner Don Cameron at the 29th International Cotton Conference in Bremen, Germany, talking with Marc Lewkowitz of Supima and Brigitte Gaedeke of Otto Stadtlander in Bremen.

Nevertheless, sustainability from a broader perspective will continue. The first session of the Bremen conference began with remarks from Tanja Busse, a journalist who spoke about fair working conditions in the textile industry. Dr. John Cheh, COO of the Esquel Group, emphasized the importance of corporate social responsibility in the manufacturing process. The session concluded with comments from Brad Moir of the FAO who talked about the 2009 International Year of Natural Fibres initiative. Finishing the first day, the third session included a panel discussion on sustainability in cotton production, which included California producer and past Cotton Grower Achievement Award winner Don Cameron.

Later that evening, I retired to the hotel to check some emails and watch a little television. As I flipped through the channels, I saw an advertisement for an upcoming BBC special on eco-friendly clothing and fashion. The short clip showed an Asian farmer working in a cotton field while the voice-over said something about Earth-friendly fashion.

Sustainability is not going the way of bell bottoms or short men’s shorts. Sustainability is here to stay, and how the industry embraces this issue and capitalizes on it will help define success for the global cotton supply chain. Consumers love cotton products for their comfort and ease of care, but in the future, that’s not going to be enough – it will have to be sustainable too. Cotton is the natural, sustainable answer to the worlds fiber needs, and by ensuring best sustainable practices along the supply chain, the industry better positions itself for success in the future.