Organic is not the same as ecological and much less respectful of the planet and its inhabitants; to make a responsible purchase you have to know what is behind each nomenclature
Many consumers believe that organic cotton is synonymous with better quality, even more ecological. But his definition does not strictly indicate such attributes. According to the FAO, the
organic agriculture It is a production system in which the maximum use of the earth’s resources is attempted, emphasizing soil fertility and biological activity. At the same time, it aims to minimize the use of non-renewable resources and not use synthetic fertilizers and pesticides to protect the environment and human health.
As for the description of ‘ecological agriculture’, it refers to that whose objective is to obtain food using natural substances and processes, to have a limited environmental impact, since it promotes the responsible use of energy and natural resources, the maintenance of biodiversity, the conservation of regional ecological balances, the improvement of soil fertility and the maintenance of water quality.
But, due to European and national regulations, the cotton produced in Spain has the same quality as ecological and biological or organic. Moreover, the production process is practically the same, with the difference that there is no genetic intervention in the organic one (something prohibited by the European Union).
Thus, in both cases, in the cultivation of this plant “there is no artificial intervention, in the sense that there is no application of pesticides or synthetic fertilizers”, summarizes Antonio Jesús Márquez, Director of the Agricultural Technical Department of Las Marismas de Lebrija , a company with a cooperative spirit that has nearly 40,000 hectares dedicated to cotton production.
It should be noted that Greece and Spain are the only countries in the European Union that produce cotton. According to
data of the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, Spain produces an average of 21% of the total cotton of the European Union, having 22% of the surface. The cultivated area of cotton in the European Union represents approximately 1% of the world cotton area, and 1.2% of the world cotton fiber production.
Certificates to consider
Years ago, Spain and Greece formed the European Cotton Alliance, which promotes the EUCOTTON brand. This seal certifies that the cotton has been produced and processed in the European Union. It guarantees that, for its cultivation, non-transgenic seed varieties will be used, as required by European legislation on the matter and the production methods will comply with the highest standards of sustainable production and respect for the environment, strictly complying with community legislation. in social and labor matters.
In our country, cotton production
is regulated so it is known as the integrated production system. According to Márquez, a natural regulation system is used; that is to say, it takes into account both the protection of the environment and the economy of agricultural operations and social demands.
In this production system there are control methods, both biological and chemical, to control the phases of the crop and associated diseases. “Whenever possible, biological and physical methods are prioritized before chemical ones to control pests,” he explains, adding that a certifying company validates that producers comply with this regulation.
Regulation in other countries
Meanwhile, in the United States, the US Cotton Trust Protocol has been formed, an initiative that establishes a new standard for the sustainable cultivation of cotton in the United States. Textile brands such as Levi’s, Calvin Klein/Tommy Hilfiger or Gap are part of this movement that aims to be a verification system so that the entire supply chain has total transparency of the process, from the cotton seed to the garment made in the store .
This protocol is designed so that producers can align with sustainability. This body provides data on key environmental metrics, with which it claims that producers can self-assess in this regard
Its goals are to reduce water consumption by 18%, greenhouse gas emissions by 39% and soil loss by half.
Social criteria, also to be taken into account
In addition, at an international level there is the Global Organic Textile Standard (GOTS). It is not an agricultural standard and therefore does not certify cotton or any other raw material. What GOTS does is set a standard for all post-harvest processing of clothing and home textiles made with certified organic fiber and includes strict environmental and social criteria.
GOTS only allows fibers to enter the supply chain that are certified to GOTS standards.
IFOAM (International Federation of Organic Agriculture Movements) and that have passed the mandatory controls.
“Most people and consumers just look at a label and see ‘made with organic fibers’ or ‘100% organic cotton.’ The problem with this is twofold,” explains Holger Stripf, GOTS Marketing Manager.
“Most of these statements -he continues- are self-affirmations of brands without any independent verification. These are often greenwashing claims. Even if the garment is made from 100% organic cotton and is certified, it only covers a fraction of the problems of the textile industry. For this reason, GOTS established very strict and binding environmental and social requirements for each production step necessary to manufacture a textile product. Just one example: A label may claim that the product is made from 100% organic cotton, but it does not give the consumer the certainty that no hazardous chemicals were used during wet processing or that the wastewater was treated before being released into the environment. However, if a consumer sees the GOTS label, he can be sure that the product is not only made with organic fibers, but also under fair working conditions and with the least possible environmental impact ».
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