Organic production begins with organically
grown seed. If certified organic seed cannot be located, untreated seed may be used as long as it
is not derived from genetically modified plants. Federal organic regulations
also address composting and the use of raw
manures.
Fertility of soil plays a major role in the cultivation of crops. Planting other crops, such as rye, can maintain the optimum level of nutrients.
Accredited inspection and certification bodies certify the organic origin of the
cotton. The inspection body inspects farms, processing units and examines soil,
crop and tissue samples.
Most textile mills are reluctant to shut production down to clean their machinery for relatively small
runs of organic cotton.
Organic cotton processing at local textile mills ensures accountability, as well as a commitment
to sustainable practices.
Organic Cotton Production and Processing
Growing cotton organically entails using cultural practices, natural fertilizers, and biological controls rather than synthetic fertilizers and pesticides. A systems approach to organic production involves the integration of many practices (cover crops, strip cropping, grazing, crop rotation, etc.) into a larger system.
Through good soil and biodiversity management, farms can become increasingly self-sufficient in fertility, while pest problems are controlled. A diverse rotation, using legumes and other cover crops, is at the heart of good soil and biodiversity management in an organic cropping system. Cotton, for example, would be but one of several crops an organic farmer would grow.
In short, organic production systems replenish and maintain soil fertility, reduce the use of toxic and persistent pesticides and fertilizers, and build biologically diverse agriculture.
Cotton sold as "organic" must be grown according to the federal guidelines for organic crop production. Any farm wanting to convert from regular to organic cotton must go through a transition period of 3 years.
Practices and Standards of Organic Cotton Processing
The parent cotton plants have been produced without the use of genetically modified organisms (GMO’s)
Use of composted manures instead of synthetic fertilizers
Appropriate cotton field rotation is applied
Use of innovative weeding techniques (flame weeding) instead of herbicides
Protect the natural enemies of pests: beneficial insects replace pesticides
Use of a cotton picker to remove the cotton from the boll, leaving the plant intact. This as opposed to the use of a cotton stripper, which strips the boll off the plant after a toxic defoliant has been used
Use fully biodegradable detergents to clean the fibers
Accredited inspection and certification bodies certify the organic origin of the cotton. The inspection body inspects farms, processing units and examines soil, crop and tissue samples.
Certification
Organic certification covers all phases — fiber production to the finishing processes, which guarantees a strict product flow segregation and 100% backwards product traceability.
For fabric to be certified organic, the mill equipment must be cleaned of residues from conventional cotton before it can be used to weave organic fabric.
No chemicals can be used in the manufacturing processes — knitting, weaving, cleaning, scouring, dyeing, and finishing — and must conform to the process requirements to insure environmental sustainability and must not be carcinogenic, mutagenic, teratogenic, toxic to mammals, or an endocrine disrupter.
All degreasers, detergents, surfactants, and soaps for scouring must be biodegradable. All knitting and weaving oils must be water soluble.
The use of chlorine bleach, plastisols, AZO dyes, formaldehyde and synthetic chemicals for functional finishes is prohibited.
