NEWS REPORT

OSSOPCA To Drive Organic Farming in Orissa

Orissa (Odisha) is gearing up for a major drive to promote organic cotton after the completion of certification of the Odisha State Seeds and Organic Products Certification Agency (OSSOPCA).

Balakrushna Rath, chairman of Agricultural Promotion and Investment Corporation of Orissa Ltd (Apicol) said to Business Standard recently “Our certification agency, OSSOPCA, is under the process of accreditation of the Agricultural & Processed Food Products Export Development Authority (APEDA). This will be a major milestone for getting our organic areas under certification program for better market strategy."

He also said that organic cotton cultivation has been done sucessfully with great results in the Kalahandi, Bolangir & Koraput districts of the state. There is a lot of scope for revival of spinning mills for producing the best quality of yarns for domestic as well as international markets.

Interestingly, organic farming in Orissa is a default practice in many districts due to low usage of fertilizers and pesticides by farmers, according to OSSOPCA. Farmers of districts like Koraput, Rayagada, Kandhamal, Kalahandi, Nuapada, Bolangir,Gajapati, Keonjhar and Mayurbhanja use little or no chemicals and most of the area is organic by default. The agency contends that agro-climatic conditions in are such that it supports  agricultural biodiversity and is conducive for organic agriculture, thereby offering tremendous scope for cultivation of a wide range of organic products.

OSSCA, the Odisha State Seed Certification Agency was formed in June 1977 to function as a certification agency under the Seeds Act 1966 in the state of Orissa in India. Subsequently it has been renamed as the Odisha State Seed & Organic Products Certification Agency (OSSOPCA) to act as an agency that will perform the task of organic certification in the state of Odisha through an organic certification wing called the Odisha State Organic Certification Agency(OSOCA).

In November last year, officers of OSSOPCA were trained on setting up of Organic Certification Programme including preparation of manuals, documentation, development of templates and related subjects on setting up of Organic Certification Programme in OSSOPCA by APEDA.


Photo Courtesy: OSSOPCA
To read the full story: New certification agency to boost organic farming

NEWS REPORT / GRIST

The Green Index For Apparels

Wouldn't it be really convenient for green shoppers if every piece of clothing came with a number that told how green it is? A group of apparel companies recently formed what they call ‘Sustainable Apparel Coalition’ to focus on making an innovative tool that could give a number to an item of clothi

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ng based on its sustainability.

The members of the Sustainable Apparel Coalition include apparel giants such as Adidas, Arvind Mills, C&A, Duke University, Esprit, Esquel, Marks & Spencer, Timberland, Gap Inc., Patagonia etc. These companies are planning to develop a database that would track the impact of a garment on environment at every level of production and on the basis of that, give a sustainability score to it. With the help of this score, they want to help individual apparel companies clean up their supply chain. The score would be based on a number of factors like energy efficiency, and labor practices, cotton growth, dye, and packaging.

According to the American Apparel and Footwear Association, Americans spent roughly $340 billion on clothing and shoes last year, which is about 25 percent of the global market, and virtually all of it came from somewhere else. Therefore it is not easy to study the supply chain by an individual company on its own.

Sustainable Apparel Coalition plans to focus on water use efficiency, minimization of chemical constituents of water discharges associated with manufacturing of apparel products, minimization of energy use, creation of apparel products with low carbon footprints with the help of technology among others. It will also stress on the importance of a workplace that is fair and safe.

This initiative is hoped to raise awareness among organisations, designers and those who can make the most difference: consumers. Jeffrey Swartz, the chief executive of Timberland recently said to New York Times , “This is really filling a void. The government has standards for miles per gallon on a car, but we have no real standards for clothing. This will ultimately put the power in the hands of the consumers, because the apparel industry is saying out loud, ‘We’re going to find a way to disclose to you what’s behind this purchase decision — beyond color, size and fit ”.

In an interview with Tom Philpott of Grist, Yvon Chouinard of Patagonia said, “I'm convinced that most of the damage done to the planet is done unintentionally. A lot of people don't want to intentionally be evil like that, but they just don't know. Given the choice, I think they'll make the right decisions. You get five pairs of jeans in front of you, one is a 2 [on a 1-10 sustainability scale], and one is a 10, and you zap your little iPhone on the barcode to find that out, you'll probably buy the 10. Without information, jeans are jeans, they're all the same. I think it's going to be a pretty powerful tool for consumers to use.”

To read a full report: Sustainable Apparel Coalition delivers the eco-skinny on your skinny jeans

NEWS REPORT / ECONEWS

Pants to Fight Poverty

With Fairtrade Fortnight 2011 focusing specially on cotton and the plight of cotton farmers, a lot of attention is on Fairtrade apparel industry. The event is being led by entrepreneur Ben Ramsden, founder of social enterprise 'Pants to Poverty', which makes Fairtrade cotton pants in India and ensures farmers are paid a fair price for cotton and no child labour is used.

To celebrate the launch and to show their support for Fairtrade Fortnight (28th February – 13th March), Pants to Poverty recruited over 150 students from Central St Martin’s to take to the streets of London to strut their stuff through the streets of London.

A few days ago, Pants to Poverty was also showcasing its new collection which celebrated the fifth anniversary of Fairtrade cotton at Pure Spirit fair in Lodon's Earl's Court. The new collections included new styles for women including mini shorts and the launch of a new woven collection in a pastel colour pallet and an array of rich and vibrant colours. Ben Ramsden, founder of Pants to Poverty, commented: “This is the first UK trade show we have shown at. We have been waiting a long time for a show like Pure Spirit to come along and we are very excited about how much the show are recognising and promoting ethical fashion!”

‘Pants to Poverty’ was started in the year 2005, the same year when Nelson Mandela stood in Trafalgar Square and called for a generation to rise up and ‘Make Poverty History’. Since then it has been continuosly working with farmers in India, making a difference in their lives via manufacturing organic underwear.

The cotton is sourced directly from fair-trade and organic cotton farmers in India and Pants to Poverty has developed a relationship with farmers in Vidharba, Maharashtra – an area notorious for terrible suicide rates of circa seven a day for the past 15 years.  By working with partners in India, two years ago Pants to Poverty set up a business unit owned by the farmers to produce the world’s first child labour free organic and fair-trade cotton.

Ben Ramsden says, 'Fashion can change the world. We want to show Fairtrade fashion is just as good as anything else out there and encourage retailers to sell Fairtrade cotton.

Photo Courtesy: Pants to Poverty 
To read the full story: Pants to Poverty - fairtrade underwear brand at Pure Spirit

PRESS RELEASE / PARIVARTAN AWARDS

Parivartan Awards: Driving Sustainable Change

With every passing year, resources are getting used up and becoming more scarce in the process of meeting the demands of the world’s economy. According to World Business Council for Sustainable Development, the supply of energy and material resources needed for industrial growth is expected to rise to 170% of the earth’s bio-capacity by 2040. Needless to say, sustainability is gaining paramount importance.

Parivartan (a Hindi word which means change) is a forum that aims to bring various organisations to a platform where they can discuss about how sustainability can improve business performance.

Recently, India Carbon Outlook invited nominations from firms for Parivartan 2011 Awards to recognize and showcase companies that have used innovation for making their products, processes, facilities and operations sustainable. The jury comprises of leading brands, buyers, industry players and influencers from four sectors i.e. automotive, packaged food and beverage, IT and IT enabled services and textile and apparel.

‘Parivartan 2011 Awards for Sustainability and Innovation’ would recognize and showcase companies that have, in their own innovative way, tried to make their products, processes, facilities or operations sustainable. Through Parivartan 2011 Awards, companies will have an opportunity to present unique innovations in products and services in front of an international audience and discuss sustainable and innovative business case studies with them. There would be sessions to attend and plenty of networking opportunities!

The winners of the Parivartan Awards 2011 would be announced at the Parivartan 2011 Awards Ceremony on March 24, 2011.

To read the full story: http://www.parivartanforum.in

REPORT / WWF-INDIA

Getting Better At Growing Cotton

The appetite for Cotton and cotton's own appetite for water, pesticides and fertilizers in the face of aggressive farming practices are inevitably driving cotton growing regions into degraded farm lands. Inextricably linked to cotton has been the health and financial well being of those who grow it when they faced with a crop that demands higher and higher inputs. But there was the other way, the better way and today entities such as WWF-India are working hard to change and to document the change that comes with it.

Last year, as a part of the project ‘Cotton in India - Challenges and Opportunities to Implement Better Cotton’, WWF-India developed Better Management Practices (BMPs) that would help farmers produce sustainable cotton. The Better Management Practices help farmers produce more sustainable cotton that reduce costs, increase crop yields, minimize health risks and environmental damage. These practices include reducing the use of chemical fertilizers and pesticides (that lead to long-term illnesses for the farmers and their families) along with better and more efficient use of natural resources, such as water and nutrients.

These practices include:

Better Water Management Practices

Cotton is a very thirsty crop which consumes a lot more water than we would like to believe. Therefore a better method of irrigation is the need of the hour. When Appasaheb Shere, a young farmer from Jalna district in Maharashtra switched from conventional flood method of irrigation to drip irrigation for his cotton crop, little did he know about the great results he was about to see.

He says “Earlier, when I used the flood method of irrigation, I used to get 25 quintals of yield from 4.5 acres of land. But by applying drip method for the first time, last year, I doubled my production to 50 quintals”, says the happy farmer.

Better Soil Nutrient and Pest Management

Chemical pesticides can harm the soil to the extent of making it barren. It also affects the farmer’s health adversly. WWF-India promoted substitutes which include decoctions such as ‘Amrutha Jalam’, vermicompost and vitex decoction under BMPs and the farmers have a lot to say about the benefits. “I am happy to share that vermicompost is very useful in increasing soil fertility while vitex decoction in curbing the sucking pest”, says Buchi Mallaiah of Neredupalli village.

Meruga Padma, 33, of Hussainpalli village in Warangal district says“I now completely depend on organic manure ‘Amrutha Jalam’ which I prepare along with botanical extractions for pest control. I received training on how to make these preparations at the Farmer Field School (FFS) in my village. Prior to the introduction of BMPs, I would spend Rs 7,000 on pesticide sprays and fertilizers for one acre of land, but with the new methods in place, my costs are almost nil, just Rs 300! My health had deteriorated when I was using pesticide sprays, causing giddiness, faint spells, headaches and stomach upsets. But now, all these irritants have also disappeared”.

Better Incomes and Better Health

Many farmers have also said that organic manures and bio pesticides have helped them save money. “With chemical pesticides, I incurred more expenditure. Now, with BMPs, the cost of production has gone down and the yield has also improved”, says Sripati Ramkoti.

Sudhakar Muley, 40, of Harthkheda village in Jalna district, Maharashtra says, “The chemical pesticides had severe side effects. I would experience cough and cold, itching, vomiting, headaches, nausea and eye irritation. These symptoms vanished after I opted for BMPs”

Jeedimatla Mogili of Katrapalli village (AP) was persuaded to participate in one of the trial plots because the soil on his land was very poor in fertility. “I adopted all the methods recommended under BMPs, including summer deep ploughing, paired rows, border crops, organic decoctions and pheromone traps”, he recalls. “To my delight, I found that the soil quality had improved and my yield had increased by 260 per cent!

Better Support for Women

Under Better Management Practices, women were asked to use cloth bags and coat for picking and storing cotton. These are provided to the women labourers for reducing the contamination of hair and threads from polypropylene bags. Traditinally, cotton is picked and stored in the palla of the sari and tied behind the back by female farmers. This leads to injuries, scratches, sunburns etc.

The Cotton Picking Coat has 7-9 kg storage capacity and is hung on the shoulders with foam belts. While the sack evenly distributes the weight of the cotton, the half-inch foam belts reduce the strain on the shoulders.
Latabai Pandey, 30, of Kachhighati village in Maharashtra is all praises for the cotton picking coat. “I used to have weal marks on my shoulders because of the load I carried and my body used to ache throughout the day. It is amazing how a simple device like this coat has made my job so much easier and pleasant”, she says.

Photo Courtesy: WWF
To read the full story: GROWING COTTON In a better, farmer friendly way

PRESS RELEASE / FAIRTRADE FOUNDATION

UK Fairtrade Sales Cross The Billion-Pound Mark

The demand for Fairtrade products in the UK remained high last year, despite the unstable economic times. Recently, Fairtrade Fortnight 2011 was launched with the announcement that sales of Fairtrade products have increased by 40% in 2010 to an estimated retail value of £1.17bn compared with £836m in 2009, says a Fairtrade Foundation’s press release. However, the story on Fairtrade cotton has not been comforting.

Figures released by the Fairtrade Foundation reveal that every day in the UK, people are consuming some 9.3 million cups of Fairtrade tea, 6.4 million cups of Fairtrade coffee, 2.3 million chocolate bars, 530,000 cups of Fairtrade drinking chocolate and 3.1 million Fairtrade bananas. New categories are also growing with over 1 million cosmetic products using Fairtrade ingredients also being sold in 2010.

According to the Fairtrade Foundation’s Executive Director, Harriet Lamb, “It is fantastic to break the first billion. Millions of Fair Trade farmers will be cheering to know that UK shoppers and businesses still care. The challenges of global poverty and inequality are more serious than ever, especially for the farmers who grow the coffee, tea, bananas, rice or cotton on which we depend here in the UK.”

The extension of Fairtrade range into new areas such as cosmetics has opened up opportunities for more producers in the past year. Juliana Sampana, a shea nut gatherer from the Akoma Co-operative in Ghana, which has recently started selling shea butter into the UK Fairtrade cosmetics market, says: ‘The women who are from poor communities like Pusu-Namogo are blessed. Many women in our region and elsewhere have over the years worked so hard to put food on their tables for their families through farming and other odd jobs but end up with an unfair income leading to several deficiencies as a result of poor dieting. The majority of their money is spent on treating deficiency-related illnesses such as kwashiorkor, beriberi and skin rashes. With Fairtrade the women are assured of receiving a fair wage for their hard work.’ With the Fairtrade premiums they have now earned, the women have been able to provide health insurance as well as buy school uniforms for their children. Juliana is visiting the UK to speak at Fairtrade Fortnight events.

Support for Fairtrade in local communities continues to surge in the UK, where the FAIRTRADE Mark is recognised by 74% of the public . Vibrant community campaigns in more than 500 Fairtrade Towns across the country, along with thousands of schools and universities, faith groups (Christian, Muslim, Jewish, Hindu), are helping the public make a personal and local connection to Fairtrade.

Responding to that public support, major company moves to Fairtrade which have contributed to 2010 growth figures include Cadbury Dairy Milk, all Starbucks espresso-based coffee, Nestle’s four-finger KitKat, Sainsbury’s tea, coffee and sugar, Morrison’s roast and ground coffee, Tesco Finest Tea and Tate & Lyle retail sugar. And the growth is set to continue throughout 2011 with Ben & Jerry’s still rolling out their commitment to make every ingredient they use, from sugar to nuts to cocoa, Fairtrade that can be Fairtrade in the UK by the end of 2011 and Green & Black’s conversion of their entire range of chocolate bars and beverages in the UK to 100% Fairtrade, by the end of this year.

Fresh commitments for Fairtrade Fortnight 2011 include The Co-operative’s announcement to convert all commodities that can be Fairtrade to Fairtrade by 2013, starting with bananas; Topshop’s launch of a new range of Fairtrade cotton denim; Waitrose’s conversion of the majority of Waitrose Tea to Fairtrade as well as several products in the Duchy Originals range; M&S’s introduction of a new Fairtrade cotton range as part of its Indigo Green label; and the spice and herb company Schwartz’s announcement that it is launching four new Fairtrade herbs - basil, mint, marjoram and dill – later in the year.

Meanwhile, Aldi is launching its first Fairtrade product range, including bananas, coffee, tea and chocolate; and Sainsbury’s will offer a new coffee for Comic Relief from the Democratic Republic of Congo, aimed at helping farmers in a conflict-ridden land. The pioneering Fairtrade companies have also introduced new products including the first Fairtrade raisins from Afghanistan launched by Tropical Wholefoods to support small-scale farmers in the Parwan province. TKMaxx and Comic Relief are using Fairtrade certified cotton from Mali for this year’s Red Nose Day T-shirts, designed by Vivienne Westwood.

The Fairtrade Foundation has broken new ground too with the world’s first Fairtrade and Fairmined gold, from artisanal miners in Colombia, Peru and Bolivia, in partnership with the Alliance for Responsible Mining, with 21 companies already signed up to take part in the scheme.

Against a picture of overall growth, however, some product categories have struggled in the midst of recession. In particular, Fairtrade cotton sales have declined in the past year, as ethical ranges struggle to compete with a continuing trend for cheap, fast fashion.

The Fairtrade Foundation has been particularly concerned about the restriction of market opportunities for cotton farmers in West African countries such as Mali, Senegal and Cameroon. As well as a campaign targeting the European Commission on the issue of continued global cotton subsidies, campaigners are putting a special focus on cotton during Fairtrade Fortnight, including an attempt to break the record for the world’s longest - and fairest - string of cotton bunting and bring attention to the plight of West African cotton farmers.

The theme of this year’s Fairtrade Fortnight is Show Off Your Label, to encourage people to have fun as they discuss the serious values of sustainability, fairness, opportunity and empowerment that lie behind the FAIRTRADE Mark.


Photo Courtesy: http://www.fairtrade.org.uk

To read the full story: Fairtrade sales soar to well over £1bn showing the UK still cares in tough times

REPORT / PEOPLE

Fair Trade Changing Lives Of Gujarat Farmers

Organic and Fair Trade premiums are helping farmers change their lives, says Safia from People Tree. She recently visited cotton farmers in Rappa, Gujarat. These farmers are supported by Agrocel  a People Tree’s partner of 10 years.

According to Safia, in 2009-10, the organic premium paid to farmers was £20,000 and the Fair Trade premium was £67,000. Fair Trade premium has not only improved livelihoods in the area, but also supports self help groups of female farmers. According to Ms Bhanuben, Agrocel’s Project Officer, “There are 5 self help groups with 74 members. Each member joins the savings scheme and starts their own bank account, this trains women in financial literacy and helps them save and plan.”

Farmers spoke to Safia about the difficulties they had to face on a daily basis before they got the support from Agrocel. One of the farmers said,“We had to travel for the whole day just to buy basics like sugar and taking our cotton to market to receive a fair price was really hard and weakened our opportunity to negotiate a good price.”

According to farmer Amrut Charda, “We really benefit from the seed programme – seeds are good quality, are GMO free, organic and supplied to us at a fraction of the cost we paid before. Usually they cost 900 rupees and from Agrocel they cost only 30 rupees per kilo.”
Photo Courtesy: People Tree
To read the full story: Visit to Agrocel- Organic Fair Trade Cotton farmers in Gujarat, India

PRESS RELEASE / THE UNIFORM PROJECT

Shoes For The Journey To Eco-Fashion

Payless ShoeSource is supporting its eco-partner Summer Rayne Oakes in a month-long 'Uniform Project' to raise awareness for eco-fashion, says a press release.

As a part of the ‘Uniform Project’ initiated by Sheena Mathieken in 2009, Summer has designed a black dress that she will wear all the days of this month. She will style the dress with a variety of shoes and accessories from Payless, including the Zoe & Zac products that she helps be manufactured more sustain-ably.

Through this project, Summer would collect donations for a charity called ‘Water’ whose mission is to raise money to build wells for the people who do not have access to clean water and basic sanitation facilities around the globe.

To have a look at the 31 different looks of Summer in a single dress, one can visit www.theuniformproject.com. The website helps people learn more about sustainable fashion as well as donate to each participant's chosen cause.
The brand Zoe & Zac was created by Payless in April 2009. The brand was different than other shoe brands with its agenda of bringing eco-consciousness to the mainstream. It uses eco-friendly components and materials such as organic cotton and linen, environmentally preferred faux leather, suede and patent, as well as natural hemp, recycled rubber outsoles, eco-friendly EVA cushioning, and water-based glues for its shoes.

Photo Courtesy: Zoe and Zac  and The Uniform Project
To read the full story: Payless ShoeSource Supports Eco-Partner Summer Rayne Oakes in Month-Long Uniform Project to Raise Awareness for Eco-Fashion

REPORT / PEOPLE TREE

Emma Watson Unveils Her Third Fair Trade Collection

Emma Watson has arrived with her third and final collection for eco fashion label 'People Tree' this month. Emma went to Bangladesh last year with People Tree and saw the plight of workers producing fast fashion there and has been advocating eco fashion ever since.

“I designed the collection last year after I’d started university in the US. Safia, People Tree’s founder, and Misato, People Tree’s designer, came out to work with me in Rhode Island. Together we decided on all the colours, fabrics, shapes and craft skills. Most of all, we took care to design a really wearable collection that truly celebrates the traditional skills of People Tree’s Fair Trade groups around the world” says Emma Watson to People Tree magazine.

All the items of clothing under this collection are made entirely from organic and fairtrade materials. With this chic collection, Emma tries to draw the attention of people, especially people of her age towards Fairtade and its importance.

The spring/summer collaboration with People Tree is being launched with Fairtrade Fortnight, which starts February 28.

To read the full story: Emma Watson Spring Collaboration Preview

NEWS REPORT / mybangalore

Masala Tee Boutique: Serving Sustainable Tees

Masala Tee, a brand that is inspired by tea, tee and India, not only uses organic cotton to manufacture its t shirts, but also supports the cause of empowering underpreviledged Indian women and children.

Founded by two tea lover friends, Sheikha Mattar-Jacob from Singapore and Indo-French Noelline Besson the brand name Masala Tee is a play on the quintessential Indian masala tea, says a news report in mybanglore. The former came to India because her huband got posted here and the latter came only to visit the country to discover her birth place. The whole idea of this business started over a cup of tea when they met.

“Over a cuppa masala chai, we concocted and brewed the Masala Tee concept. The tee-shirt concept was brewed, frothed, spiced, sweetened and sparkled in India for the world.  The word masala refers to our diverse background and at the same time it symbolizes something fun, quirky and totally Indian,” says Sheikha to mybanglore.

The brand offers vibrant tee-shirts with screen-printed faces of women, embellished with Swarovski crystals and is truly inspired by India. Each t shirt is packed in its individual tea bag.

Wearing a Masala tee is not just about being an upper class fashionista (prices start from Rs 2000), but also about making a conscious fashion choice. Last year, in a Masala Tee Humani-tee week, the company announced that each of its tee sold would subsidize one month of education of an underpriviledged child in India. A percentage of the sale proceeds go towards various NGOs that work for the underprivileged children and women.

 To read the full story: Masala Tee: Eco-friendly designer wear from 'Tee Wallahs'