Sales of apparel and home textiles made from organic cotton soared by 63 percent worldwide in 2008, rising to $3.2 billion. Organic cotton is made without toxic and persistent pesticides and fertilizers to maintain soil fertility and does not use genetically modified seeds.
The Organic Exchange released the results in its Organic Cotton Market Report 2007-08, which also ranked the top 10 brands and retailers that used organic cotton. These included Nike, Wal-Mart, C&A, H&M and Zara.
Most of the companies using the product plan to expand its use by 24 percent in 2009, and another 33 percent in 2010, despite the troubling economic climate. This would result in total sales worldwide of $4 billion in 2009 and $5.3 billion in 2010.
Organic farmers grew 152 percent more cotton in 2007-08, producing 145,872 metric tons in 22 countries. The Organic Exchange’s Organic Cotton Farm and Fiber Report 2008, which reported this finding, also noted that supplies of certified organic cotton fiber grew by 95 percent, even more impressive than the 45 percent growth in 2006 or the 53 percent growth in 2007.
