Cooperation on sustainable cotton production
A European Study Tour and the Cotton Connection conference

Working with Pesticide Action Network partners, the cotton cooperation project aims to contribute to the development of sustainable agriculture in the South by addressing the problems faced by small farmers dependent on cotton for cash. The objective is to support efforts to develop organic cotton production as an integral part of agro-ecological farming systems. Research and advocacy, networking and capacity building are also part of the project. Dorothy Myers reports on two recent ‘sustainable cotton’ initiatives.

Will Allen and Katherine Hamnett discuss the difficulties of obtaining supplies of organic cotton fibre and yarn. London, 15 November 1994. Photo Dorothy Myers.

The Pesticides Trust [now PAN UK] cotton project evolved from evidence collected on the adverse health and environmental effects of pesticides use in developing countries. It became clear that, as the major non-food crop and the one on which insecticides are most used worldwide (valued at US$1.85 billion), cotton was a major source of pesticide problems in developing countries. In addition to the big producers (USA, China, India, Pakistan, former USSR) which together account for 80% of global production, cotton is grown in over 50 countries of the South, mainly in Africa and Latin America, where it is often a very important source of income both at national and household level. In both Benin and Paraguay, for example, cotton represents 35% of export earnings. In addition to the negative health and environmental effects of pesticides use, insect pest resistance, arising from the excessive and injudicious use of pesticides, is a serious threat to production in many countries. The tenth anniversary of the Bhopal tragedy (see page 3) is a timely reminder of the hazardous potential of pesticides and their production processes: the Bhopal factory was manufacturing ‘Sevin’ (carbaryl) and ‘Temik’ (aldicarb) for use on the cotton fields of central India.
    According to Mark van Esch of the company Bo Weevil in the Netherlands, organic cotton is already produced in Paraguay, Peru, Argentina, Brazil, Egypt, India, Greece, Turkey, Australia and the USA with an estimated total annual production of 6,000-8,000 tons which is expected to rise by 50% in 1994. It is nevertheless a minute proportion of the total global production of some 20 million tons. Most of the existing production is on fairly large farms and the involvement of small farmers in developing countries is noticeably lacking. Organic production has several advantages for small farmers and emphasis in the Trust [PAN UK]project is therefore on these producers, initially in West Africa. At the opposite end of the long chain from producer to consumer, markets must be created which take account of both environmental and socio-economic aspects of sustainable production. Marketing opportunities should ideally be those which will ensure a fair return for this specialised product.
    Two related events designed to consolidate progress and raise the profile of the many issues involved in sustainable cotton production took place in November: a Study Tour organised by the Trust and the ‘Cotton Connection’ Conference organised by PAN-Germany. The objectives of the Study Tour were to:

• introduce participants to marketing opportunities and campaigning activities in Europe;  

• introduce organisations (both commercial and NGO) to the problems faced by small farmers involved in cotton production;

• facilitate exchange of experiences of conversion and potential for conversion to organic production within the tour group (see box).

Participants in the tour examining the staple length of Senegalese organic Cotton at the laboratories of Remei AG. Rotkreuz, Switzerland, 22 November 1994. Photo Dorothy Myers.

Contacts were made in London, Amsterdam, Bologna, Zurich and Dusseldorf with a range of companies engaged in selling organic cotton at various stages. Participants in the Study Tour met wholesalers of organic cotton fibre, a yarn trading company, and designers and retailers of cotton textiles from international high fashion (Katherine Hamnett in London) to international high-street fashion (Esprit in Dusseldorf) to specialty outdoor clothing (Patagonia from California) to mass super-marketing (Coop in Switzerland). The commitment on the part of these organisations to achieving high standards — whether their own or those set by external standard-setting institutions, from production right through the chain to the consumer, was impressive. Targets are in some cases ambitious and short-term. The overall impression gained is that there is a shortage of organic cotton fibre, yarn and fabric at present to satisfy the needs of these companies.
    The approach of Remei AG based in Rotkreuz, Switzerland was the subject of much interest. Remei is a small cotton yarn trading company with an interest in forging long-term links between the Third World and Europe. The company works with a spinning mill in Madhya Pradesh to ensure more value added locally. The mill, in turn, buys the organic cotton from a total of 538 farmers whose 500 hectares have produced 220 tons of ginned organic cotton in the third year (1994/5) of their involvement in the project. At the opposite end of the chain, Remei works with the Swiss Coop Supermarket chain which is aiming to have all its textiles produced from environmentally friendly cotton within the next few years.
    In London, Amsterdam and Bologna participants in the tour had the opportunity to exchange views and experiences with representatives of many diverse NGOs with an interest in cotton. They included people from organisations engaged in fair initiatives, consumer protection, development, sustainable agriculture, organic inspection and certification, and environment. At a seminar sponsored by COSPE in Bologna, the tour group also met representatives of textile manufacturers and large retailers interested in organic production.
    Exchanges of views and information within the tour group were rich and lively as participants shared experiences of existing organic cotton production and others started to think through the possibilities for conversion within their own countries. Differences in cotton prices between countries quickly emerged as a discussion point within the group and an area which could be the focus of networking activity. Even assuming commitment on all sides, it quickly became clear that many questions must be addressed in trying to work towards sustainable cotton production: technical, economic, commercial, social, political. As Jorge Abbate from Paraguay observed: “unless the social and political issues are addressed, farmers could go down the road to conversion and find they are still in the hands of enterprises which extract the benefits from their production by trading at the international price and buying from farmers at prices well below it. In this case nothing will have changed. Social and political issues must be addressed along with the environmental and technical issues.” Simplice Vodouhe believes that in Benin, farmers’ organisation is crucial in creating the confidence which will enable them to enhance their benefits cotton production. These benefits should include, for example, a pesticide free environment and better prices.
    Certification of organic production emerged in both formal and informal discussions as an issue which must be careful-examined in relation to small-farmer conversion. The current three-year transitional period before full organic certification can granted, the costs of certification and the

‘Cotton Connection’ Conference, Hamburg 25—26 November 1994
Sponsored by the group ‘AK Cotton Connection’ and PAN-Germany in collaboration with The Pesticides Trust, the conference objective was to draw attention to the need for a rational approach to ‘eco’ labelling of cotton textiles in the general context of consumer and producer needs. As a response to consumer fears about chemicals in clothing, many companies have developed ‘eco’ labels for clothing as part of their marketing strategy. In addition to creating confusion in the minds of consumers, these labels usually offer only limited protection because production processes are generally not taken into account. The conference aimed to redress this imbalance by providing information on the current state of cotton production and a forum for discussion with people from producing countries. Labelling criteria were discussed in light of this information.
    Against a background review of cotton production and future prospects which included a survey of pesticides use and biotechnology, several country situations were presented in more detail by Jorge Abbate (Paraguay), Abou Thiam (Senegal), and Hemchandra Gajbhiye (India). Experience of integrated pest management (IPM) in cotton in India, Pakistan and Nicaragua was presented and experience of organic production in several countries (Nicaragua, Turkey, Uganda, Paraguay) was also reviewed. A lively debate about the relationship between organic and IPM approaches to cotton production followed. Many participants saw the IPM approach as a step on the way to organic production and reference was made to the preparation of a set of guidelines for IPM which could be useful as a means of communicating the advantages of IPM to the consumer.
    The final part of the conference brought participants back to the debate on labelling. Background presentations stressed the multiplicity of labels, especially in the German context. Many new labels were created in recent years by the textile industry which was seeking to allay consumer fears of chemical contamination and to enhance the image of an industry hit by recession. The discussions focused on the need for the establishment of some kind of testable minimum standards and for reliable labelling which takes account of production aspects as well as processing. In this way confidence would be built with consumers which,  
    The conference provided the study tour participants with a valuable opportunity to present their knowledge and experience and to meet a wide range of people with a shared interest in sustainable cotton.

Will Allen and Katherine Hamnett discuss the difficulties of obtaining supplies of organic cotton fibre and yarn. London, 15 November 1994. Participants in the tour examining the staple length of Senegalese organic Cotton at the laboratories of Remei AG. Rotkreuz, Switzerland, 22 November 1994. Photos Dorothy Myers.

[This article first appeared in Pesticides News No. 26, December 1994, pages 12-13]