Current Retail Situation---------

As people become more conscious of organic vegetable farming, it is important for them to consider organic cotton as well.

On Wednesday I went to the Mall of America in search of an organic cotton t-shirt. Most sales associates understood the question, thought for a moment, before telling me they didn’t have anything that was labeled as organic cotton. Macy’s advised me to return next month when they would have a special Earth Day display.

H&M was the only store where I found a significant number of organic items. There were organic cotton products found throughout the store, clearly marked with a special tag reading either Organic Cotton or Organic Cotton Blend. H&M is a member of the organization Organic Exchange which is establishing worldwide networks to expand production of organic cotton. They have a goal of increasing the amount of certified organic land farmed for fiber production by 50% per year.

The United Nations named 2009 the International Year of Natural Fibers.

Cotton is the most popular natural fiber in the world, it is also the most pesticide dependent crop, making the switch to organic cotton not just desirable, but vital. Organic cotton production is rising every year, but without consumers increasingly demanding organic products, and demanding that what they are buying does not alter or cause harm to the environment, the industry lacks incentive for change.