Organic
Organic cotton is cotton that is grown without pesticides from plants which are not genetically modified.
Reasons to go organic-
- High levels of agrochemicals are used in the production of non-organic, conventional cotton.
- Cotton production uses more chemicals per unit area than any other crop and accounts in total for 16% of the world’s pesticides.
- The chemicals used in the processing of cotton also pollute the air and surface of waters.
- Residual chemicals may also irritate consumers’ skin.
Organic agriculture uses crop rotation instead of agrochemicals and artificial fertilisers, and biological pest control instead of pesticides. Though organic cotton has less environmental impact than conventional cotton it costs more to produce.
Critics of organic farming in general point out that genetic modification of crops can have environmental benefits. Crops can be engineered to have higher yields, allowing smaller plots to be dedicated to farming. It also can reduce crops’ reliance on techniques than conventional varieties.
Fair Trade
Development agencies recognised the important role that consumers could play to improve the situation for producers. By buying direct from farmers at better prices, helping to strengthen their organisations and marketing their produce directly through their own one world shops and catalogues, the charities offered consumers the opportunity to buy products which were bought on the basis of a fair trade.
The fair-trade mark id an independent consumer label which appears on products as an independent guarantee that disadvantaged producers in the developing world are getting a better deal.
For a product to display the Fair-trade mark it must meet international Fair-trade standards. These standards are set by the international certification body Fair-trade Labelling Organisations International (FLO).
Producer organisations that supply Fair-trade products are inspected and certified by FLO. They receive a minimum price that covers the cost of sustainable production and an extra premium that is invested in social or economic development projects.