Prospects for Cotton Promotion
March 13, 2009 The last few years have been a period of considerable change in the cotton industry. Both cotton production and consumption are persistently shifting to Asia. Europe and the U.S. must conform to this changing trend; such changes of course result in a modified flow of goods, but they also accelerate the new phenomena of companies shifting eastward. Countries such as China, India and Pakistan are growing in importance as their markets now dominate global demand and supply numbers. African countries are also fighting for their place in this evolving system. With growing demand, the cotton industry is confronted with an important opportunity for development and marketing in these countries.
The International Forum for Cotton Promotion (IFCP) must remember all these new elements of the market’s situation when planning its actions and activities in the coming years. Using the many years of experience of the IFCP, we should direct our knowledge and efforts towards establishing good, efficient standards for promoting cotton in those new markets. I would like to strongly underline the point that promotion is both possible and necessary in developing countries. It is vital that we work out low cost strategies for promotion in such countries. Yes, this is a great challenge for the IFCP, but also a great opportunity.
Cotton Promotion and Ecological Trends
The IFCP will, of course, continue to simultaneously conduct efficient promotion in, let’s say, “old markets.” An important element of our strategy has always been to directly impact cotton consumers, but now, even more so, there is a tough battle underway to gain customers. Merchants discovered that every slogan containing the magic words “ecological,” “natural,” “organic” or “environmentally friendly” evoked positive associations among consumers. However, the products behind these slogans really should be friendlier to the environment and the consumer. But in the battle for a slightly confused client, many false claims are being made. The customer is being told, for instance, that classic cotton is a danger to one’s health because it may contain residual pesticides. Contrary to such statements, European laboratories and others around the world have been regularly testing conventional cotton for any trace of chemical contaminations. Almost 30-years of studies have not exposed any such pollution harmful to humans. Other questionable campaigns include claims that polyester manufactured in just slightly more environmentally sound ways are “ecological.” Polyester continues to be a fiber produced with complicated technologies which burden the environment.
Sustainable Cotton: The Battle for Ecology
The share of organic cotton in global production is currently insignificant; being more demanding and less efficient, organic farming will most likely remain a niche activity for many years. On an experimental scale, certified organic cotton is being produced right now in 25 countries, representing only 0.24% of all cotton produced globally. Because there is less money for fertilizers and plant protection agents, there are regions in the world, mainly in West Africa, where cotton could be regarded as organic, but is not labeled so because of expensive certification procedures.
In spite of negative reactions to the sceptics, GMO cotton, another ecological tactic, is taking the markets by storm, especially those in developing countries. It allows for a decrease in the volume of plant protection agents, the cost of which is a barrier to production in developing countries.
The most important positive effect of strong ecological trends is a real support for sustainable development and rising corporate responsibility for the players in the international market. An important task of organizations such as IFCP should be monitoring actions to ensure ecological slogans convert into real ecological benefits, both for consumers as well as for the environment, and that they do not remain only a marketing catch.
GET THE NEWSLETTER TODAY!
