Report Shows Demand for Organic Cotton Remains Strong

Very few industries have managed to avoid setbacks during the nasty global recession, but organic cotton production is one of them, according to The Textile Exchange (TE) Farm and Fiber Report 2010. In the most recent season (Aug. 2009 through July 2010), global production of organic cotton increased by 15 percent to more than 241,000 tonnes.

While organic cotton makes up a very small part of the overall market with a 1.1 percent share, it continues to grow rapidly, increasing 539 percent between 2005 and 2009. There are about 275,000 organic farmers in 23 nations around the globe, with India being the greatest producer by far, producing more than 195,000 tonnes and accounting for 80 percent of the total global output. The other top producers are Syria (20,000 tonnes, 8.3 percent of global output), Turkey (11,600 tonnes, 4.8 percent), China (4,300 tonnes, 1.8 percent) and the United States (2,800 tonnes, 2.8 percent).

A full copy of the report can be obtained from the Textile Exchange’s Web site.