Fairtrade encourages sustainable cotton production and is the only standard to provide economic benefits, through a guaranteed Fairtrade Minimum Price and additional Fairtrade Premium for seed cotton farmers. Fairtrade works with 21 producer organisations growing Fairtrade cotton in eight countries.
Why choose Fairtrade cotton?
A large percentage of Fairtrade cotton is also organic certified, and Fairtrade encourages and empowers cotton farmers to protect the natural environment as an integral part of their farm management. There are other important advantages for Fairtrade cotton farmers, too. Cotton - Key data about Fairtrade Impact
What is the Fairtrade textile standard and programme?
In 2016, Fairtrade introduced the new Fairtrade Textile Standard and Programme to reach people at all stages of the textile production chain – from seed cotton to finished garments. There’s a lot of cotton out there, but when you opt for Fairtrade cotton goods you are empowering small-scale farmers and pushing the industry to become sustainable.
What is Fairtrade and why does it matter?
Through tools like the Fairtrade Minimum Price and an additional Fairtrade Premium and stronger, more democratic organisations, Fairtrade has sought to provide these farmers with an alternative route to trade and higher, more stable incomes.
How does fair trade help farmers and producers?
This creates a living wage for the producer that can more realistically support them and their families. Fair trade organizations also try to help the farmer or producer by increasing their knowledge about the market and teaching skills that can help them improve their businesses.
How is Fairtrade helping farmers?
The Fairtrade Standards promote training for farmers, which can include advice on switching to environmentally friendly practices, such as developing nutrient-rich soils that support healthy plants and encouraging wildlife to help control pests and diseases.
How is cotton Fairtrade?
Fairtrade cotton is produced in a way that provides economic opportunity for farmers and workers on the ground while also promoting more sustainable growing practices. In exchange for cotton fibre and other raw materials, Fairtrade workers must be paid the Fairtrade Minimum Price for their goods.
What is Fair Trade certified cotton?
Fair trade cotton is cotton that has been certified through a fair trade organization that attempts to ensure that cotton producers receive a fair price for their crop.
Do farmers really benefit from fair trade?
1. Income sustainability: Fair trade helps producers set minimum prices, which help protect fair trade farmers and workers against erratic market prices. If the market price for a commodity drops, the minimum price ensures the farmers and workers still earn enough to cover the basic costs of living.
What are the benefits of Fairtrade cotton?
Fairtrade cotton fields in Western Africa and India are rain-fed, reducing the region's water footprint, when compared with production in other countries. Requirements in the Fairtrade Standards also protect farmers' health and safety, and ban genetically modified cotton seeds.
How can we help cotton farmers?
Buying clothes made with Fairtrade cotton means we can help low paid cotton farmers around the world.
How many cotton farmers are there?
Cotton is produced on about 18,600 farms in the U.S.
What does cotton get made into?
Once the cotton has been spun, it can be woven into cloth. Cotton can also be knitted. T-shirts are made of cotton jersey, which is a knitted cotton fabric.
How can I join Fairtrade?
How to become a Fairtrade producerDetermine if you are working in Fairtrade's Geographical Scope. ... Determine if there are Fairtrade Standards for the product(s) you produce. ... If both of these criteria are met, contact FLOCERT – the independent certifier for Fairtrade – to commence the process of certification.
What are 3 benefits of Fairtrade?
Benefits of Fairtrade for farmers and workersFairtrade farmers and workers are unique in earning a fair income. ... Fairtrade farmers and workers have the power to invest in their communities. ... Protecting the environment and staying healthy. ... Fairtrade farmers are part of strong communities. ... Fairtrade farmers are entrepreneurs.More items...
Does Fairtrade help poor workers?
“For cooperative workers, Fairtrade standards seem to be a tool that is effective in increasing wages above the national minimum wage, improving job security and reducing poverty.
How many farmers and their workers benefit from Fairtrade?
1.9 million farmers and workersToday, Fairtrade represents more than 1.9 million farmers and workers in 71 countries around the world.
What is Fairtrade in textile?
The Fairtrade Textile Standard includes strict requirements to ensure freedom of association, so workers can unionize. It also includes criteria for training workers on their rights, democratic representation in the company, and topics such as internal communication and complaints management.
What does cotton get made into?
Once the cotton has been spun, it can be woven into cloth. Cotton can also be knitted. T-shirts are made of cotton jersey, which is a knitted cotton fabric.
Is organic cotton more ethical?
Organic cotton is more sustainable and ethical than regular cotton, protecting the environment where it is grown whilst also providing a stable income with fair wages for those who produce it. Organic cotton uses no chemical pesticides or fertilizers, limits soil erosion and is less thirsty than normal cotton.
Who produces cotton?
Currently, India is the world's leading producer of cotton, surpassing China recently. Although yields in India are well below the global average, cotton area in India dwarfs that of any other country, accounting for approximately 40 percent of the world total.
Where is Fairtrade cotton grown?
Fairtrade works with farmers who’ve formed small producer organizations, as well as contract production organizations in the process of forming independent cooperatives. Many Fairtrade cotton organizations are in West Africa – namely Mali, Senegal, Cameroon and Burkina Faso. But it's India that grows the most Fairtrade certified cotton.
Which country grows the most fairtrade cotton?
But it's India that grows the most Fairtrade certified cotton. Cotton production is linked to several environmental issues: Extensive usage of agrochemicals and excessive use of water put fresh water supplies for local populations at risk.
How many countries are cotton made in?
Around 100 million rural households are engaged in cotton production in more than 75 countries around the globe.
Where do most cotton farmers live?
Ninety percent of the world’s cotton farmers live in developing countries, which is where Fairtrade focuses its efforts.
Is Fairtrade cotton rain fed?
Fairtrade cotton fields in Western Africa and India are rain-fed, reducing the region’s water footprint, when compared with production in other countries. Requirements in the Fairtrade Standards also protect farmers’ health and safety, and ban genetically modified cotton seeds.
How does Fairtrade affect cotton?
Through Fairtrade, thousands of cotton farmers have already improved their lives . Cotton co-operatives have become better organised, farmers are more productive and women farmers are receiving the same rewards as male farmers, from voting rights to equal pay. A study on the impact of Fairtrade cotton in four countries particularly noted the impact of Fairtrade Standards on gender equity. The study highlighted how a requirement in the Fairtrade Standards for seed cotton stipulating that women farmers should be paid directly (rather than through their husbands or other male family members) had encouraged more women in West and Central Africa to cultivate cotton. They considered that this had given them more influence over their household resources.
What is Fairtrade cotton?
Fairtrade encourages sustainable cotton production and is the only standard to provide economic benefits, through a guaranteed Fairtrade Minimum Price and additional Fairtrade Premium for seed cotton farmers. Fairtrade works with 19 producer organisations growing Fairtrade cotton in seven countries. In 2018, cotton farmers generated €1,434,146 of ...
How does Fairtrade make things better?
Fairtrade works with the small-scale cotton farmers in Asia and Africa and helps build stronger farmer-owned organisations. This is important because farmers can achieve a lot more together as a group in negotiations with ginners and traders or in supporting the local community.
Why are cotton farmers poor?
Why do cotton farmers remain poor? With high levels of illiteracy and limited land holdings, many cotton farmers live below the poverty line and are dependent on middle men or ginners who often buy their cotton at prices below the cost of production.
Why is the situation in cotton worse?
But in addition to these problems that plague most smallholder farmers, the situation in cotton is worse because the global cotton trade is heavily distorted by subsidies given to cotton farmers including in rich countries like the US and EU.
How many hectares does Fairtrade cotton grow?
Fairtrade currently works with almost 45,576 cotton farmers in some of the poorest regions in the world. They grow seed cotton on 55,516 hectares and produce 48,838MT of Fairtrade certified seed cotton.
How much did China pay for cotton in 2017?
47 percent of world cotton production received direct government assistance in 2017/18. China led the way with $4.3bn paid. Government subsidies create a market with artificially low prices that farmers in lower-income countries are unable to compete in.
Is fair trade cotton fair trade?
But did you know that there is fair trade cotton? Yes, fair trade cotton, fair trade does not only apply to food, in fact, there are many different items that can be produced from fair trade. Fair trade cotton is one of them. Cotton is a big part of the fashion industry and even home products, yet how many of them are using fair trade cotton? Let us take a look at fair trade cotton and understand why we should use fair trade cotton.
Is cotton the oldest crop?
Did you know that cotton is one of the oldest commercial grown crops? Not only is cotton one of the oldest, there are still over 100 million households that work for cotton farms in the world (Nicholson). Unfortunately, many of the people that are involved in the cotton industry are not properly compensated or are facing hardship on a daily basis due to climate change, harsh chemicals, child labor, and many other global issues. These issues are affecting cotton farmers significantly. This is where fair trade cotton comes into play, with fair trade cotton, we can ensure that these cotton farmers are able to make a living, ensure safe working conditions, and create a sustainable trade.
How does fair trade help?
Fair trade organizations aim to reform international trade rules and help producers improve their businesses.
How does fair trade affect the trade chain?
Fair trade shortens the trade chain and determines payments that take into account what the producer's needs are.
Why is fairtrade cotton important?
Fairtrade cotton is produced in a way that provides economic opportunity for farmers and workers on the ground while also promoting more sustainable growing practices.
What is cotton grown with?
Conventionally grown cotton is often produced using synthetic fertilisers. In addition, much of the supply is genetically modified to be resistant to pests. The use of synthetic pesticides is another common practice in traditional cotton production.
Does Fairtrade cotton use pesticides?
Weed control, even done by hand, can also help Fairtrade co-operatives avoid the need for pesticides. To sum it up, Fairtrade cotton prioritises economic uplift for cotton-producing workers and businesses, as well as their communities, while mandating specific environmental standards during cultivation.
How much water does it take to grow cotton?
It also takes a lot of water to grow cotton. The World Wildlife Fund noted that it takes 20,000 litres of water to produce one kilogram of cotton. To put things in perspective, that’s about the amount required to produce a T-shirt and a pair of jeans.
Can organic cotton be grown without pesticides?
Broadly speaking, all organic goods are produced without the use of toxic pesticides. Instead of using man-made fertilisers, to grow organic cotton, farmers add natural organic matter, including animal manure, to the soil. In addition, most organic standards prohibit goods made with genetically modified organisms (GMOs) from being certified.
Does Fairtrade pay for water efficiency?
Premium payments may go towards water efficiency schemes, for instance. Fairtrade Standards prohibit the use of certain chemicals and encourage integrated pest management techniques instead of pesticides. Weed control, even done by hand, can also help Fairtrade co-operatives avoid the need for pesticides.
Is cotton a resource intensive crop?
Fortunately, there are alternatives. Cotton is a resource-intensive crop.
