ORGANIC CLOTHING STARTING TO SHOW UP IN MANY STORES
For fashion-forward types, it's not easy being green. But it's starting to get a little easier. Until recently, clothing made from organic fibers has been associated more with bongs and Birkenstocks than with runway-fresh style. While major manufacturers of sportswear including Patagonia, Timberland and Nike have committed in varying degrees to using organic cotton and recycled materials, most trendsetters and their customers haven't been contemplating the impact of pesticides and formaldehyde on the earth. But seeds of change are being planted.
You no longer have to risk being mistaken for a Guatemalan pan-pipe player at the farmers market to dress head-to-toe organic. Last spring, during New York's biannual Fashion Week, designers including Oscar de la Renta and Diane von Furstenberg trotted all-organic designs down the runway at FutureFashion, a show sponsored by the environmental-activism group Earth Pledge. Such hip streetwear manufacturers as American Apparel have added organic-cotton lines. And boutiques that target women who want to support eco-business and look de rigueur are popping up around the country, including Birch Clothing in Minneapolis.
While it represents a tiny fraction of total clothing sales in the United States, organic clothing showed a 22.7 percent increase in sales between 2002 and 2003, according to the Organic Trade Association (OTA). Cotton and hemp are most common, but someday soon you could walk out your door in a pencil skirt made of soy, a fedora made of corn and a tailored jacket made of bamboo. Sounds scratchy, but a lot of the stuff in your breakfast cereal can be transformed into fabrics just as finely spun, in designs just as up-to-date, as your other garments. Appeal for organic clothing linked to labor concerns "People are starting to buy because they like something, and finding out it's organic is a bonus," said Ellen Gavin, owner of Birch Clothing. The eco-chic trend often goes hand in hand with fair-trade and labor concerns.
In March, rock star Bono of U2 and his wife, Ali Hewson, launched a "sweatshop-free" line of casual wear for men and women called Edun (nude spelled backwards). Only some of the designs are made from organic cotton, but all are made in family-owned factories in developing countries. Josie Wert, owner of Wertwear, carries Edun at her uptown Minneapolis shop, and will add Loomstate, a 100 percent organic line of men's jeans, in the spring. Livity Outernational, a trendy and eco-friendly line carried at Bloomingdale's and Urban Outfitters, will also soon be on hand at WholeFoods.
A major stumbling block to the growth of organics has been higher retail prices, but as organic clothing becomes more popular, the costs of producing and distributing it will drop. American Apparel's Sustainable Edition, for example, offers basic fitted T-shirts for $15. Birch Clothing's highest prices are comparable to those of mid-range boutiques such as Chico's. Green isn't the new black just yet; organics comprise a mere .04 percent of total fiber sales nationwide. Organic proponents face opposition from agribusiness and food corporations, which are lobbying legislators to lower standards on chemical use.
At least a decade behind market for organic foods The organic-clothing movement is "at least a decade behind the organic-food trend," said Barbara Haumann, a spokesperson for the 1,600-member OTA. Organic food sales reached $1 billion in 1990, and grow about 20 percent each year compared with fiber's 15 percent, she said. As organic-clothing sales increase, so will the spin. Haumann suggests checking your labels: If they read "made with organic fiber," they need to be certified by the USDA, and that should be on the tag, she said.
WHOLE FOODS MULLS PUSH INTO ORGANIC CLOTHING
Whole Foods Market Inc. may sell organic clothes at its supermarkets, a move which could mark the boldest move yet by a major U.S. retailer to market goods made of naturally grown fibers.
As the top U.S. organic and natural food chain, Whole Foods is favorably positioned to capitalize on burgeoning demand for organic clothes and home linens, analysts said.
The company, with 163 stores, is building a new flagship location in its Austin, Texas, hometown that may include clothes made with materials like organic cotton, according to a spokesman.
Except for a few private Web sites, organic clothing is largely a rarity, and most consumers can't even tell an organic T-shirt from a conventional one.
As with organic food, many think clothes made of chemical-free dyes and natural yarns are too expensive, analysts said. They added that other consumers see such clothing as less stylish than conventional varieties.
Still, Whole Foods said it may introduce organic clothes at its Austin store, which is set to open in early March, but the company has made no final determination of the store's new product line-up.
"It's something we're considering along with many other unusual things," spokesman Scott Simons said.
BB&T Capital Markets analyst Andrew Wolf said Whole Foods, as a top organic and natural food chain, has gained high credibility with its customers.
"If the market is going to go into organic clothing, perhaps they will be well-positioned to be part of it," Wolf said.
Last year sales of natural foods and other organic products hit $42.8 billion, up 8.1 percent from the prior year, according to industry publication Natural Foods Merchandiser.
Organic clothes appeal more to people who are conscious about the effect their lives has on the environment or those who detest the use of synthetic fabrics and dyes in clothing.
According to the Organic Consumers Association, the use of conventionally grown cotton promotes use of pesticides, harming the environment.
CHOOSING ORGANIC: MORE THAN FOOD
When her first child was born in 1992, Ginny Caldwell could not find the natural and organic fiber products she wanted for her baby.
“I was frustrated because there were only one or two sources. So in 1993, I started a catalog business out of my garage,” Caldwell recalls.
“I started with a black and white catalog Xeroxed by my mother, with her boss’s permission, at her job. We sent it out to about a thousand mothers on a general mailing list I rented. At night we’d go over to the garage and pack orders.”
The initial results weren’t very successful. However, Caldwell was convinced that a color catalog would help. With money fronted by her husband, she published one. In 1994, the business acquired a warehouse, and hired several employees to take and pack orders. In 1996, her husband helped design a web site, over which a substantial part of company sales now take place. In June 1999, the business, Ecobaby Organics, was incorporated, with Caldwell as president and her mom as vice president. That year, the business broke its first million dollars in sales.
“We still haven’t made a profit, but we’re really close,” reports Caldwell, who is able to do much of her part of the business from her El Cajon, CA, home where she is raising four children, ages 13 months, 5, 7 and 9. Employees are moms, and her extended family also is a big part of the company.
“I really believe in organic, and that is why I did this. For me, it is a health issue. I really think our kids are being exposed to a lot of chemicals and substances that they shouldn’t be. And that is why I choose organic,” she explains.
If you are like a growing number of parents, you buy organic food because you believe it is good for the planet, and thus good for your family. But do you know there also are many products geared for your child that are made from organic fiber?
Children’s products are a growing market segment for organic fiber, with items for babies and toddlers leading the way. Organic fiber products for children range from crib mattresses, sheets, blankets, quilts and pillows, to layette items, clothing, diapers, and toys such as stuffed bears and other animals.
Many of these items are made by mothers for mothers seeking items that are good for the planet and thus good for their children.
Mary Fellows started Little Merry Fellows based in Newtown, Connecticut, as a new mother and designer “who had a hard time finding a few simple things. So we launched our line of comfort items for child (and mother) in the purest, softest and most simple fauna and flora nature has to offer,” she recalls.
Each item her business sells is hand assembled in the United States by Mother Corp., a group of moms who use organic materials to make these products.
Why buy organic?
Organic refers to the way agricultural products, whether food or fiber, are grown and processed. Organic production systems are designed to replenish and maintain soil fertility, eliminate the use of toxic and persistent pesticides and fertilizers, and build biologically diverse agriculture. All organic products are produced without the use of genetically modified materials, irradiation, and sewage sludge.
As The Original Earth Friendly Goods points out on its web site, although people often think of all cotton as “natural,” cotton raised traditionally is heavily sprayed with toxic chemicals. In fact, cotton is grown on about three percent of the earth's farmland, but accounts for an estimated 18 percent of all agricultural chemicals used. According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, 84 million pounds of pesticides were sprayed on cotton in 2000, making cotton the second most heavily pesticide-sprayed crop, behind only corn.
The process of textile production also pollutes the environment. To create finished goods, fabrics are often colored with toxic dyes and finished with formaldehyde. Residues of these substances accumulate in the environment and can become irritants by reacting with detergents and bleaches.
Organically grown cotton, however, is grown without the use of dangerous and often ineffective chemicals. Instead, insects are controlled by introducing natural predators such as ladybugs. Only natural fertilization is used. The balance of nature is maintained and production can be sustained for many years. Cultivation without the use of toxic and persistent pesticides also provides a healthier environment for those working in the cotton fields.
Manufacturers of organic fabric products point out that two yards of organically grown fabric used to create one baby blanket set saves about one pound of pesticides and synthetic fertilizers from polluting the earth.
“We don’t think our kids deserve all of the harmful chemicals, pesticides, herbicides and formaldehyde used in growing and manufacturing traditional cotton clothing,” proclaims Earth Wear Organic Cotton Originals on its web site.
Meanwhile, manufacturers of organic cotton bedding note that most bedding contains chemicals such as formaldehyde, vinyls and plastics, foam, and other chemical residues. Organic cotton bedding is free of these substances.
Currently, there are organic standards in place governing how organic fiber—whether cotton, wool, hemp, or flax—is grown. The Organic Trade Association is completing guidelines for processing organic fiber. Once adopted, these guidelines will determine which dyes and other finishing inputs can be used in finished products and how such products will be labeled.
Diapers often the first purchase
OTA’s Organic Fiber Shopper Study, conducted by The Hartman Group and released in 2000, found that parents who themselves use organic products such as food are more likely to buy organic products for their children. This study also found that organic cotton diapers are often the first organic fiber product purchased by parents. “Parents who are core organic consumers express concern about exposing their children to chemicals and using diaper products that are not recyclable. Many of these parents use cotton cloth diapers, but the majority have recently discovered small and private companies who produce organic cotton diapers,” the report notes.
Natural Baby based in North Canton, Ohio, Ecobaby Organics, and Glad Rags are among the companies selling organic cotton diapers.
Clothes for children
Organic cotton diapers, however, still represent a small market, particularly compared to that for children’s clothing. By contrast, there are many organic clothing options for babies, toddlers, young children, and even older children.
Organic cotton clothing items for infants and toddlers are often eye-catching and comfortable looking. This is because children’s wear manufacturers recognize that items for the younger set must appeal to the fashion sense of their parents.
Organic cotton clothing items available for infants include baby gowns, one-piece outfits, undershirts, sleepwear, booties, dresses, caps, jumpers, and bibs. It is even possible to find organic christening dresses, baby jackets, pants, and baby bonnets. There is a wide range of items for toddlers and older children as well, from pants and tops to jackets and hats, and even socks.
Rompers and pants and tee sets are among the most popular items.
“We see more interest from a broader market of consumers as people become more aware of environmental concerns,” says Vicki Lasin, co-owner of Xanomi, for our children. “For instance, we have noticed growing interest in toddler boy clothes that are organic.”
Some of the items demonstrate creativity. Colorado-based GAIAM, for instance, sells a convertible romper for infants through 24 months that can be used as a baby sack or gown. As the baby grows, snaps placed all along down the front can be adjusted to shape the garment into a romper. Because of the excitement these are generating, GAIAM Organix Company in Spring 2002 will offer the rompers under its Pure Baby label and brand.
Meanwhile, some in the industry see clothing for ages 6-14 as a particularly difficult market, chiefly because pre-teens and teens generally help pick out their clothes and experience peer pressure concerning what they should wear. This has not stopped Michelle Pothier, owner of Mad River Clothing Company Ltd., in Creemore, Ontario, Canada, however.
“Yes, it is a difficult market, but kids of this age group can understand the message when you explain the value of organic,” says Pothier. Her company sells organic clothing geared for children ages 6 months to 14 years.
Mad River’s approach is to produce kid-appealing clothing that is price-competitive and of good quality without catering to fads that soon go out of style.
“There still is a gap in the 6-14 age category for organic fiber clothing. We have many customers who call up just to say, ‘We are so happy you’re there, for being organic and socially responsible in your labor practices,’” said Pothier.
Two leading active wear companies have also come out with organic clothes for kids. Patagonia has a kid’s sportswear line for sizes XX Small (size 3-4) through XX Large (size 14) that incorporates organic cotton, and will include several organic cotton pieces for infants in its children’s line in the upcoming Spring 2002 season. Mountain Equipment Co-op based in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada, meanwhile, sells organic shorts, pants and t-shirts for children, and reports it is moving as much as its cotton clothing into organic cotton fiber as it can.
Accessories for children
Organic fiber accessories for infants and children include organic blankets and bedding-related products.
“Our most popular items are what I call ‘take-me-home’ (receiving) blankets. You just can’t have too many,” says Fellows.
Indeed, organic cotton receiving blankets are one of the most popular, and most widely available, organic fiber baby items in stores. Organic baby blankets and quilts are ideal gifts for baby showers, as are baby futon Moses baskets.
Parents can find even crib and twin-size mattresses in organic cotton and organic cotton/wool, mattress pads, bumper pads with covers, crib sheets, and comforters with duvets.
“People are far more aware and concerned about what they have their children sleep in,” according to a spokeswoman from Crown City Mattress based in South El Monte, California. These products are becoming more mainstream and are available in retail stores, sleep shops, and decorating stores, as well as through catalogs and the Internet.
But the choices don’t stop here. Moms can also find organic cotton pillows and hooded towels, as well as organic baby herbal salves, oils and lotions.
Playfully organic
Toys made from organic fiber are also readily available.
Popular items include organic cotton animals, from bears and bunnies, to elephants and puppies. Or, you can find tooth fairy pillows and miniature comfort blankets.
Bunny Gardner, owner of The Original Earth Friendly Goods, based in Fort Worth, TX, contracts with seamstresses to make her company’s toys and does all of the finishing work herself. “It is very much a labor of love,” she says.
Gardner does not believe concern for the environment is what motivates many of her customers. “Instead, I think they look at the items and love them, and the price is acceptable. The fact that they are organic is an added bonus.”
Especially for moms, but dads like them, too
There are a number of organic fiber items on the market with the new mom in mind.
For those who are breastfeeding, there are organic cotton nursing tops as well as nursing bras. Added recently are organic cloth baby carrier slings so that moms can comfortably carry their youngsters, while nursing or at other times. The slings are also ideal for dads who want to snuggle or carry their young children.
There are also crescent-shaped organic cotton nursing pillows available. Washable, these are equipped with a strap that goes around the mom’s waist.
Other items include organic cotton balls and swabs for infant and child care.
Not just organic cotton
Manufacturers of organic fiber products use primarily organic cotton, but do on occasion use other organic fibers, such as wool, when available.
Ecobaby, for one, sells some organic wool products, including diaper covers, infant care pelts, crib bumpers and comforters.
As the availability of organic fiber increases, parents can look forward to even more offerings.
GREEN THREADS FOR THE ECO CHIC
Organic-cotton apparel is fast making it to market, embraced by the big-name brands. But can supplies keep pace?
"The big joke in the organic advocacy world is that one day we'll have a shirt we can eat," says Rebecca Calahan-Klein, president of nonprofit group Organic Exchange.
While you won't be eating your Brooks Brothers any time soon, the reference is apt: The apparel industry is following in the early footsteps of the food industry as it veered toward products made from certified organic materials farmed without chemicals. For the clothing business, the first big organic material is pesticide-free cotton, which promises to appeal to the same eco-friendly consumers already hooked on organic food. It's the target group loyal to grocery stores such as Whole Foods (WFMI), which saw $5 billion in total revenues in 2005 (see BusinessWeek.com, 7/21/2006, "Whole Foods: A Little Too Rich?"). And it's the same psychographic that convinced Wal-Mart to double its organic-food offerings earlier (see BusinessWeek.com, 3/29/2006, "Wal-Mart's Organic Offensive,").
PRICEY THREADS
Apparel manufacturers facing the to-be-or-not-to-be-organic question have it easier than the early Whole Foodies in that a large market of consumers willing to pay up for organic products is well established. That means big-brand clothing makers and sellers are diving in earlier than they did in the food market. And Wal-Mart is the perfect example: Its March announcement of plans to double its organic food offerings was followed by the May debut of the George Baby line of infant clothes made with 100% organic cotton.
And others are following the trend. Levi Strauss & Co. will debut a line of organic-cotton jeans in November. Levi's Eco features 100% organic cotton, natural dyes, and a tag made of recycled paper and printed with environmentally friendly soy ink. The jeans are part of the company's premium Capital E label and will bear a hefty $250 price tag—largely because organic cotton is rare.
And that's the problem: The demand for organic cotton—fueled by the growth of the organic foods industry—has outraced supply. The Capital E Levi's Eco jeans will be available in selected Levi's stores only. In February, 2007, the company plans to roll out lower-priced, mass-market styles ranging from $65 to $80 in department stores, followed by jeans in the $40 to $60 range by fall 2007. "The goal is to have significant organic content in the lower-priced lines," says Robert Hanson, Levi's U.S. brand president. "We're aiming for minimum 50% organic."
HIGH DEMAND
The company's plan to roll out three lines of organic-cotton jeans over a year's time "is significant," says Organic Exchange's Calahan-Klein. "This shows that big-brand apparel makers are really making a commitment to organic farming. It's not just a fad." The question is how this can be done. And that turns on both regulation (what is certified as organic) and agriculture (how much can be grown). And demand.
On the regulation score, for cotton to be certified as organic, it must not be genetically modified at all, according to U.S. Department of Agriculture guidelines. The USDA states that 52% of the nation's 2005 crop was genetically engineered, meaning that the seeds have been altered to resist insects in an effort to avoid harmful pesticides. While cotton is a crop that can qualify as "certified organic," there's no "organic clothing" standard set by the USDA that labels a shirt or pants as fully organic.
As for demand, according to the Organic Trade Association—a 21-year-old membership-based business organization that represents farmers and retailers dedicated to the promotion of organic goods—organic retail sales in the United States have grown between 20% and 24% each year since 1990. Today, approximately 39% of the U.S. population purchases organic products. Total organic food and beverage sales increased from $1 billion in 1990 to $12.2 billion in 2004. Last year, the figure reached $14.6 billion.
TRENDY BANDWAGON. Some of the demand comes from companies that make social issues an important aspect of their brand philosophies. American Apparel, the trendy Los Angeles-based retailer, is known for its anti-sweatshop stance and offers a "Sustainable Edition" line of organic-cotton T-shirts and baby clothes (see BusinessWeek.com, 6/27/2006, "American Apparel's Virtual Clothes"). Outdoor clothing and gear maker Patagonia also offers organic-cotton clothes, as does Timberland (TBL), the maker of boots popular with hikers. And Edun, a year-old, socially conscious fashion label that supports farmers in developing-world nations (founded by Ali Hewson, wife of U2 singer Bono, and hip clothing designer Rogan Gregory), produces Edun Live, organic-cotton T-shirts made in Africa. The Edun Live organic-cotton T-shirts are proving popular: To date, the company has shipped 100,000 units in roughly one year.
But increasingly, companies without explicit social agendas are going organic as well. In addition to Levi Strauss, Nike (NKE) has been using organic-cotton blends in some of its athletic clothing since 1998. The athletic-apparel company plans on integrating a minimum of 5% certified organically grown cotton into all cotton-containing apparel materials globally by 2010. H & M features some organic cotton in its babies' and kids' lines of clothing and sold out a limited-edition organic-cotton T-shirt by hip designer Stella McCartney in 2005.
And at Organic Exchange's annual conference on growing, selling, and marketing organic materials and goods, held this year in Utrecht, The Netherlands, from Sept. 13-15, it was clear that even more big brands are exploring the possibility of designing and developing goods made with organic cotton. Reps from Target (TGT) Victoria's Secret (LTD) and trendy British retailer Topshop, for example, were present for the first time.
USEFUL WORK-AROUND. So the challenge isn't the demand—it's the supply. Organic-cotton production in the U.S. increased by 8%—and was up 7% in China, 25% in India, and 40% in Turkey—between 2004 and 2005, according to an April, 2006, Organic Exchange report that lists the top four producers. But demand for organic-cotton fibers by clothing makers increased 93% in the same period. As a result, the growing number of retailers wanting to offer eco-friendly clothing is facing a crunch.
In less than a decade, Nike's use of organic cotton has grown exponentially. In 1997, the company purchased 250,000 pounds of U.S. certified organically grown cotton for use in apparel. By the end of 2006, Nike plans to use an estimated 7.2 million pounds this year alone. However, Levi Strauss' Hanson says organic cotton remains too rare to make mass amounts of 100% organic jeans—hence the high cost of the exclusive first batch of Levi's Eco jeans.
Some companies are seeking new, previously untapped areas where organic cotton is grown. By starting to purchase from developing nations whose farmers simply can't afford expensive genetic engineering processes or pesticides, Edun, for example, is finding a solution to dwindling organic-cotton supplies and supporting farmers in poverty at the same time.
"We buy from Peru. Africa, too, has a great potential. There are areas untouched by genetically modified cotton. Most cotton in these regions is hand-grown and picked," says Edun Chief Executive Christian Kemp-Griffin. There's a caveat, though.
WIN-WIN. "Organic certification is a problem," says Kemp-Griffin. "Many farmers in developing nations are growing organic cotton but don't know or don't have a way to certify it…yet."
Purchasing clothes to support farmers in the U.S. and abroad who grow pesticide-free cotton might prove enough of a lure for consumers keen on jumping on the fashionable eco-chic bandwagon. For big-brand companies such as Levi's and Nike, the lure of organic-cotton clothes is appealing for the same do-good, feel-good reasons. It's also a savvy marketing strategy, clearly aimed at trendy customers in the habit of shelling out green to buy green.
It's worth noting that apparel sales in general are up, just as organic-product purchasing is up. Brand extensions into "greener" clothing lines might indeed be timely. Market researcher NPD Group reports that U.S. apparel revenues reached $181 billion last year, up 4% from 2004. And women's jeans and T-shirts, usually made with cotton, organic or otherwise, each saw 10% increases in sales in 2005.
The reality of pesticide-free versions of clothes so pure that they're "edible" is still a pipe dream. But casual apparel containing organic cotton is poised to be a growing wave in popular organic products.
ETHICAL FASHION
It’s like that old joke about the shortest books in the world (Italian War Heroes, Swiss Comedians etc etc). “Ethical Fashion” could be the shortest story in the world because it really doesn’t exist. There are ethical clothes — baggy, beige T-shirts made in Third World worker co-operatives from organic Fairtrade cotton — but not proper fashion.
OK, there are pockets of conscience. Vegetarian Stella McCartney with her stand against fur and leather. Easton Pearson manufacturing all their clothes (apart from the Indian embroidery) in Queensland. Err … and then my mind goes blank.
That’s not to say the fashion world is totally devoid of conscience. There is a lot of tireless work for AIDS and breast cancer charities, but when it comes to the real business of fashion, everything about it is fundamentally counter to current ethical concerns.
It is an industry based on fuelling consumption for things which are defined by their built-in obsolescence; on making people want things they don’t need and buy more than they can really afford; and on seducing us into believing that owning a material object can change our lives.
It is certainly one of fashion’s ironies that while spending $100,000 on a single dress might seem the very apogee of its decadence, it is at the peak of the fashion mountain that you will find the most ethical employment conditions. The “petite mains” (little hands) working in Paris couture salons are treated very differently from the almost slave labour in some Asian clothing factories. The Parisian master craftspeople are valued for their skills and the couture customer can pay the price for it.
It is at the other end of the market where the real horrors lurk. The current trend for cheaper and cheaper great clothes — which I confess I have been guilty of promoting in these pages — marvellous fun as it is for the Western consumer, is inevitably linked to terrible conditions for the people who make them. If we’re not paying for it — someone else is. Sorry if I’ve just ruined the jolly weekend shopping spree you were looking forward to, but that is the fact of it.
And it gets worse. Before you even get on to the conditions in a Thai sports shoe factory and the problem of knowing which big brands really use the ethical labour they — or rather, their contractors — claim, there are the environmental nightmares associated with the textile industry.
Take cotton — actually, don’t. Because the world’s favourite “natural” fibre is not, in fact, “pure and simple” as we have grown up to believe. Lovely as it is to wear and sleep in, cotton is one of the most pest-prone of crops, meaning that to produce it cheaply in industrial quantities, enormous amounts of chemicals have to be thrown at it.
About 150 grams of pesticides are used to cultivate the cotton for one T-shirt (that’s the equivalent of one cup, and it takes two and a half cups for a pair of jeans) so perhaps it’s not surprising that, according to a 1995 report into the industry by Allen Woodburn Associates, a quarter of all the world’s insecticides are used each year to grow cotton.
And when you add in the various soil sterilisers, fumigants, herbicides and defoliants also used to grow this “natural” fibre, we are talking about some of the most deadly chemicals in the world. According to the World Health Organisation, 20,000 people die each year in developing countries as a result of sprays used on non-organic cotton. In Benin, West Africa, 24 people died as a direct result of poisoning from cotton pesticides in 2000, including 11 children. And that’s just the agricultural part of the textile cycle. At least 8000 chemicals are used at the next stage of processing, to turn raw material into clothes, towels, bedding etc, and some of the substances involved are known to be harmful to human health and wildlife, say environmentalists William McDonough and Dr Michael Braungart.
How are feeling about your “pure” cotton T-shirt now? Of course, all that chemical business happens before the shirt gets on your back and, like so many eco nightmares that are happening somewhere else, it’s easy to block it out.
But there is a growing sense of concern that the chemical toxicity associated with cotton production might not stop at the soil and unfortunate Third World labourers.
Call it the nicotine patch construct, but there is a body of thought that says by having such a highly processed product next to our skin we may absorb residues — such as the formaldehyde used as a dye fixer and anti-wrinkle finisher in some countries — into our bloodstreams. These uncomfortable ideas are contributing to a growing market for organically farmed cotton and naturally processed fabrics of all kinds. It might seem cranky and alarmist now, but I am certain it will one day be as normal to expect an organic option in your clothing as it is in your vegies, or your face cream. Just like the boom in organic food, awareness of uncontaminated textiles is taking off at a grassroots level, with parents seeking organic cotton baby clothes, towels and bedding for their newborns. If we could absorb chemical residues through our gnarly adult hides, the thinking goes, how much more at risk is the superfine skin of tiny babies and their delicate systems?
It was this concern — as well as environmental impact — that prompted children’s wear designer Annette O’Donnell to launch her range of Gaia Organic Cotton baby wear in 2000. It’s now sold throughout Australia.
“I realised that the very fabric I was using was having a detrimental effect on our environment,” O’Donnell says. “I’d always thought of cotton as pure, but as I learnt it was a chemically intensive growing process, I felt the need to re-look my design direction.”
Russell Lamb and Tim Ower had a similar epiphany about the sheets and towels side of things, which they used to import in large volumes from China. They founded Eco Down Under, a gorgeous range of naturally produced and organic cotton items, sold at Holy Sheet and many other outlets, including their own store in Rozelle. So that’s the baby and the bathroom sorted out, what about the rest of your organic cotton needs — like actual clothing? Well, this is where it gets tricky. Most of it is pretty yuk. Because Prada, Country Road et al just don’t do organic gear.
In fact, the only prominent designer I have ever known to speak out on the topic is that well-known political animal Katharine Hamnett.
“I thought we were just silly fashion designers not doing any harm, making silly clothes,” she says. “How wrong I was. I did some research into the environmental impact and it made for horrific reading. “The [fashion] industry does not give a damn, yet research shows that consumers would prefer organic textiles if sold at the same price — and this is possible now. But no one buys sustainably produced clothes because they are worthy. They have to be desirable in their own right.
“That whole granola look has done the whole organic cotton movement a great disservice,” she says. “It’s so unnattractive, it’s foul.”
She’s right. Just as organic food has to be a more pleasant experience to eat than the processed variety, or no one would be willing to pay the premium price, organic clothes will need to be just as stylish as the conventional processed variety, or we won’t buy them.
If you hunt around on the internet, you will find some basic sportswear and underwear lines that are acceptable — greenculture.com for example, which brings them in from the US — but that’s about it. Sorry, I wish I had better news. So what can we do? If we want change on this issue we have to get active.
First up, support the firms that are producing organic cotton items now because if small organic clothing companies start to do well, and there’s money to be made, the big guys will want a piece of it.
In just this way, the world’s biggest food corporations are now all creating their own organic brands; so the organic pasta sauce you buy, in its ethical looking packaging, may well be owned by Heinz.
I admit it will be hard, at this stage, to find much to buy beyond T-shirts, so write to your favourite designers and shops to tell them you are concerned about cotton farming practices, and would like them to offer an organic alternative — or you might be forced to shop elsewhere.
Wherever you do buy clothes, ask the shop assistants if they have an organic range. They will probably look at you blankly at first, but if enough people do it, word will filter up to buyers and management.
Best of all, explore the possibilities of hemp clothing, which is the real answer to the whole problem. But that, as they say, is another story.
ORGANIC COTTON CLOTHING INDUSTRY BOOMING
However, not everyone applauds the blending programs as a totallypositive change. "It looks great on these companies' mission statementsfor them to buy organic cotton, but I question why they're notconverting it into organic products," says Harvey Campbell, president ofBC Cotton, Inc., a large organic cotton breeder and grower. "And arethese companies willing to really support the industry by making forwardcontracts (committing upfront to buying a certain number of bales oforganic cotton for the following year)? So far the farmer has had totake all the risk."
Meanwhile, outdoor apparel manufacturer Patagonia made a commitment twoyears ago to switch all of the cotton items they offer to 100 percentorganic cotton, and in February they introduced 100 percent organiccotton denim jeans and an organic cotton canvas sneaker. "It costs usmore to produce these items, but we've taken lower margins on them, tosplit the difference with the customer," explains Lu Setnicka, directorof public affairs for Patagonia.
The children's market is growing as well. Queen Mab is a brand-newcompany offering organic color-grown cotton children's clothing anddiapers as well as natural wooden toys. The business was started by asingle mother and her friend, and employs home-based sewers andwoodworkers. Also new in the children's market is HinderCovers, anorganic cotton diaper and clothing company started last year by Bob andMelissa Herbert when they couldn't find organic diapers for their son."We eat only organic food and wear as much organic clothing as we can.When our son was born, we certainly didn't want to put pesticide-ladencotton on him where it would be wet and against his skin," explains BobHerbert.
Earthlings, the original and largest organic cotton clothing company forchildren, is anticipating growth from switching to selling direct ratherthan through retail stores. "We found the retail market to be a dead endin terms of creativity. This way we'll be able to offer a complete line,at lower prices since we've cut out the middle man, and to talk moreabout the message behind organic cotton," explains owner Dawn Ceniceros.
Why choose organic cotton? Conventionally grown cotton is one of mostheavily sprayed field crops in the world-using 2 percent of the farmlandworldwide, it consumes 10 percent of the world's pesticides and 25percent of all insecticides, according to Pesticide Action Network.Sprayed from the air, these highly toxic pesticides often drift overfarmhouses, roads, water sources, and workers, resulting in water andsoil contamination, as well as danger to wildlife and human health. Forexample, a 1993 EPA study focusing on carbofuran, an insecticide used oncotton, estimated that one to two million birds are killed annually bythis chemical. Cotton is also a food crop: cottonseed oil is used insnack foods, and cottonseed is used to feed beef cattle. As insectsgradually become resistant to pesticides, ever-increasing amounts arerequired to be effective.
In contrast, organically grown cotton makes use of beneficial bugs andmanure in place of pesticides and synthetic fertilizers. The farm planincludes soil rotations, cover crops, and hand-weeding. A field must bepesticide-free for at least three years to be certified organic, and thecotton must be processed according to accepted standards. (Cotton grownorganically for less than a three-year period is termed "transitional";"green", or "unbleached," cotton is processed without chemicals but notgrown organically.)
Organic cotton is more expensive to grow for several reasons, explainsLa Rhea Pepper: "Because of the rotation program, one-third of the cashcrop is out of production every year; and because we don't usesynthetic fertilizers, we get about a 20 percent lower yield." Inaddition, costs are increased in the processing stage because the cottongin must be stopped and cleaned of contaminants before the organiccotton is processed.
"The organic cotton industry is where the organic food industry was tenyears ago-it's the same kind of learning curve," says Mattie Bosch,owner of Xanomi, another manufacturer of organic cotton children'sclothing. "It's a holistic issue-it's not just about having somethingorganic next to your skin but wanting to contribute to a clean process.The bottom line, though, is that people won't buy organic cottonclothing out of duty, they'll buy it because it's cute. We have to makeproducts so good that people will buy them regardless of whether they'reorganic."
POTENTIAL OF ORGANICALLY GROWN COTTON
Marketing research by several companies has shown growing consumer interest in products made from organically produced cotton. In response to consumers' concerns about the potentially detrimental effects of cotton production and processing methods on the environment, some manufacturers and retailers have introduced product lines of organic or transitional cotton clothing and home textiles (also called "green," "clean," or "natural"). Organic cotton must be grown without chemicals on land that has been chemical-free for a time specified by certifying agencies. Transitional cotton is grown with reduced or no chemical applications on land that may not have yet met the required chemical-free time period.
The market for organically produced food has grown tremendously during the last decade, due to concern about pesticide residues and other potentially carcinogenic additives in food. Consumers buy organic food because they are concerned about their own health or the health of farmworkers. Those consumers who buy organic clothing and bedding are not worried about the effects of traditionally produced textiles on their health; rather, they want to encourage producers and processors of fibers to use environmentally benign methods.
Production and Certification
As the demand for organic cotton products appears to be accelerating, some farmers have been willing to experiment with organic production methods to supply it. Dr. Andrew Jordan of the National Cotton Council says that, "U.S. cotton producers and researchers always have opted for non-chemical methods for control of pests where possible because excess chemical usage raises production costs and heightens concerns over environmental stress."
In California, out of 70,000 acres enrolled in the California Certified Organic Farmer (CCOF) program this past year, only about 500 were cotton (as compared to about 11,000 for grapes, for example). However, CCOF Executive Director Bob Scowcroft expects organic cotton acreage to double next year. Demand continues to outstrip supply as the level of interest among buyers is high. Scowcroft adds, "The first few farmers who are now growing cotton organically are the pioneers. The next 100 will be entrepreneurs."
In Texas, 40 acres of cotton were grown organically in 1990. By 1991, acreage for organic and transitional cotton had increased to 500 acres and is expected to reach 1,500 or more in 1992. The Texas Department of Agriculture's organic cotton certification program include standards for certifying cotton throughout the ginning and milling processes, so that end products, as well as raw fiber, can be certified as organic.
Most organic cotton farmers in Texas farm on the High Plains, where early freezes provide natural defoliation and drought provides a natural growth regulator. Some farmers are reviving older farming methods to control weeds and pests and to fertilize their land. For example, manure can be used for fertilizer, soaps can help control pests. Organic farmers will be combining these "old-fashioned" methods with the latest in biotechnology, biocontrol insects, Bacillus thuringiensis, and other genetic engineering, for example. Principles of integrated pest management and integrated crop management are necessary for a successful organic farming system.
Some farmers have expressed interest in planting acreage in organic cotton because of the premium price it fetches: between US $1.75 and US $1.95 per pound for varieties grown in California, and between US $1.00 and US $1.35 for Texas varieties. This premium reflects the relatively scarce supply and relatively high demand for organic cotton now, as well as the initial costs of conversion to organic methods.
The higher price for organic cotton also reflects the extra attention required of producers and processors in keeping it isolated during storage, handling, and shipping and in cleaning chemicals such as boric acid out of equipment used to process regular cotton.
Consumer Demand
John Price of Texas Tech University's International Center for Textile Research and Development says interest in organic cotton has accelerated in the past year or so. Some companies are interested principally in profits while others are genuinely concerned about the health of the environment. A tremendous stimulus to the fledgling organic cotton niche comes from Europe, where consumer awareness of environmental problems has created the market for environmentally friendly products.
Several companies are offering lines of clothing or home textiles in organic or "natural" cotton. Some of these are small businesses that market their products through "ecostores" or mail-order catalogs that carry a variety of environmentally friendly products. Others are large, well- known textile or clothing companies that have added organic or "natural" lines.
Fieldcrest Cannon's new line of environmentally friendly products: unbleached, undyed, untreated 100% cotton sheets, towels, and kitchen linens were added to existing product lines. These products started selling rather slowly, but have picked up considerably as consumer education and awareness have increased. The company expects these products to be a good four to five percent of their total market.
Cotton grown organically and handpicked in Turkey is being sold to Danish textile manufacturer Novotex A/S, which, along with Dutch company Bo Weevil BV, is manufacturing organic cotton T-shirts. European demand for organic cotton products is expected to grow, so U.S. suppliers may be able to export organic cotton competitively with suppliers like Turkey.
Burlington Knitted Fabrics is another major textile manufacturer that has introduced a line of cotton knits that are "gentler to the environment." While these GREENVISTA cotton knits are not made with organic cotton, they are processed and packaged without formaldehyde.
Smith & Hawken, a garden supply and apparel catalog company, is currently offering naturally colored cotton items and will soon add organic cotton items to their line. Earthlings reports that about 20% of their infantwear products are made with organic cotton, and are selling well. Backstage Issue offers "Green Cotton Environment" tee- shirts as well as pants, shirts, shorts, and denim made from cotton grown organically in Arizona. Seventh Generation company, which sells environmentally friendly products, includes items made with organic cotton.
Esprit is another major company that offers apparel lines made with organic or "clean" cotton. Esprit International sells clothing in 35 countries, and 80% of its products are made with cotton. Lynda Grose, head designer of Esprit's Ecollection, would like all the cotton it purchases to be organic.
One of the markets that first sparked interest in organic cotton was bedding for chemically sensitive and highly allergic people. "Natural" bedding continues to form an important part of the organic cotton niche. Pure Podunk, Inc. in Vermont is an example of the several companies that are selling bedding made with organic cotton and wool.
Long-Term Prospects
Because products made with organic or untreated cotton are just beginning to come on the market, it is difficult to predict their long-term success. Manufacturers and retailers who have conducted market research and tracked consumer trends tend to be optimistic.
Organic fibers, like organic food, will probably remain a small but viable segment of the market. Because concern for the environment represents a major shift in values rather than merely a consumer fad, this niche in the natural fibers market looks promising.
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