Organic Processing Vo1.5 #5

designer-entrepreneurs are building their brands on using organic and sustainable materials, and textile designers, like Harmony Susalla of Harmony Art, are creating exclusively organic fabrics and participating in the process of defining the industry. Many marketers are also using organic cotton to green their promotional efforts, creating organic cotton t-shirts for concerts and bands as well as organic tote bags for events. Like many commodities in the fast-growing world of organic, there are questions about whether or not organic cotton supply will be able to keep up with demand. OE’s September 2007 “Organic Exchange Organic Farm and Fiber Report,” found that the amount of organic cotton produced globally increased 53 percent from 2005/06 to 2006/07. According to the report, 57,931 metric tons, or 265,517 bales, were produced in 24

countries on all arable continents. The top ten organic cotton producing countries were: Turkey, India, China, Syria, Peru, the United States, Uganda, Tanzania, Israel and Pakistan. Nearly half of the organic cotton was grown in the Middle East, while approximately one-third of organic cotton was

grown in Southeast Asia.

With the sustainable clothing sector rapidly ex-
panding, along with the fact that it takes 3 years to
convert conventional farmland to organic, the supply
of organic cotton remains a valid concern for manu-
facturers large and small. Companies like Wal-Mart
have created agreements with farmers to help them
transition. Meanwhile, some smaller companies with
less buying power are entering into cooperative buying
agreements to help ensure supply.

Educating Consumers About Eco-Fashion

_{Harmony Arts uses}With all things green as the trend of the moment, sus- organic cotton to create fash- tainable apparel has media attention and fashion and ^{ionable fabrics like the one}_{used in this design by Unicorn,}celebrity interest. Earth Pledge, a New York-based envi- a EU-based designer. ronmental non-profit that has made sustainable fashion one of its core issues, partnered with Barneys New York, Lexus Hybrid, and Pure & Natural to produce its 2008 Future Fashion Show. Earth Pledge invited interna-

ALL ORGANIC • ALL NON-GMO GRAINS AND OIL SEEDS FOR FOOD PROCESSORS

Organic Lecithin

for your truly organic products

• Emulsifier

• Release agent

• Fat replacer / extender

• Antioxidant

• Dispersing, wetting and instantizing agent

Commercially available in
8-pound buckets, 50-pound pails,
450-pound drums

800-252-1638 (US and Canada) 217-763-2861 Curtis.Bennett@clarksongrain.com Cerro Gordo, IL 61818-0080 www.clarksongrain.com

Indigo Blue Corn –
whole corn and ingredients
Excellent blue color, flavor,
and antioxidant levels.
Great in chips, snacks,
and cereals.
Soybeans and Corns
Specific hybrids/varieties to optimize
your products.