DIVE DEEPER:

• Cotton represents 80% of the natural fibre market and 24.2% of global fibre production, making it the second most commonly produced fibre after polyester (which is of course plastic polymers).

• Cotton is grown on six continents – China and India alternate as the largest global cotton producers, delivering over six million tonnes each annually. Other leading cotton-producing regions include the United States, Brazil, Pakistan and Uzbekistan.

• Four different types of cotton are grown commercially: Upland cotton, extra-long staple cotton (the umbrella under which Pima and Egyptian cotton sit), tree cotton and Levant cotton. Upland cotton accounts for most cotton produced, with a 90% market share.

• In recent years, cotton has been criticised for being a “thirsty crop”, consuming 20,000 litres of water per kilogram of fibre and 25% of the world’s insecticides. A report by the Transformers Foundation cites data from the International Cotton Advisory Committee, which states cotton uses 1,931 litres of irrigation water – known as blue water – on average to produce one kilogram of lint. It also states that, globally, cotton uses 6,003 litres of rainwater – known as green water – on average to produce one kilogram of lint. However, these numbers do not factor in water used during the manufacture of a garment and do not illustrate differences in agricultural and irrigation techniques, climate and levels of rainfall.

• Farmers in the west of the US, for instance, can use up to 13 times more irrigated water per kilogram of cotton than farmers in the southeast, so each farm should be treated as a separate entity. This applies to pesticide use and agricultural practices too.

• The percentage of preferred cotton fibre production, which includes ABRAPA, BCI, Fairtrade Organic, In-Conversion Cotton, REEL Cotton, Regenerative Organic Certified and the U.S. Cotton Trust Protocol, has grown from 5% (1,371 of 27,979 tonnes) in 2012-13 to 30% (7,759 of 26,245 tonnes) in 2019-20.

• Cotton categorised as organic currently represents less than 1% of overall cotton production. Organic farming can promote the use of techniques such as crop rotation and green manures, with an emphasis on soil health and biodiversity. It also eliminates the use of synthetic pesticides, herbicides and GMOs. Used without protective equipment and precise application, pesticides can cause harm to farmers and nature, particularly broad-spectrum pesticides and those which are persistent in the environment. Organic pesticides can still be used in organic farming but they can also cause harm, such as contaminating soil and disrupting pollination.

• Organic cotton is often attributed to a huge reduction in water use. But again, this should be measured on a farm-by-farm basis, as the data sources for generic comparative figures do not stand up to scrutiny.

• Cotton linter, the short fuzzy fibres which are left on the cotton seed, is created during cotton production. Often used for Paper products and industrial applications, companies such as Asahi Kasei, Georgia Pacific Cellulose and Jilin Chemical Fiber Co. are beginning to use it as feedstocks for MMCFs due to its high cellulose content.

• Unlike synthetics such as polyester, cotton in its natural state is biodegradable. And thanks to developments in technology, cotton fabric can also be recycled – a point which is often given in favour of synthetics. Recycled cotton has an estimated market share of just 0.96%. But research shows that 24% of consumers are willing to pay more for clothing that is labeled as recycled – something that startups such as Renewcell, Infinited Fiber Company, Circular Systems and others are betting on.