The new Brazilian initiative, ‘Cotton in Organic Farming Consortium’ will aid approximately 800 farming families by strengthening organic cotton production in seven Brazil states over the next two years.
The initiative is supported by the C&A Foundation along with the NGO Diaconia, Embrapa Algodão and the Fedeal University of Sergipe (UFS). It aims to reinforce the management of the Participatory Conformity Assessment Bodies (OPACs) - associations representing the families of farmers certified to issue the organic product seal.
Though cotton is the fiber most used in the fashion industry, less than 0.1 per cent of Brazilian cotton is organic. Organic cotton does not require toxic chemicals, does not damage the soil, and has a lower impact on the air and uses 71 per cent less water and 62 per cent less energy.
As cotton farming is an important source of income for producers in these regions, the transition from conventional cotton to organic farming is an opportunity to improve the lives of the farmers in Brazil.
