A recent report by the Textile Exchange, 2014 signified the beginning of a turnaround for the organic cotton market. After three years of steady decline, year 2014 saw 10 per cent growth in overall organic cotton production.

The report says that the news is a sign that the textile industry is moving together towards finding solutions to reduce carbon footprint. Across the industry, there has been noticeable improvement in business practices, stronger communication between supply chain tiers, increase in certifications, and evidence of longer-term planning to increase sustainability efforts.

The reports says that while many factors contribute to this important shift, most of the growth can be attributed to increased market demand with more and more companies showing commitments towards including organic cotton and setting targets explicitly for increasing their organic cotton use; improved supply chain linkages with brands and retailers working to secure their supply of organic, resulting in better connections between organic cotton farmers and the textile supply chain.

www.textileexchange.org