REPORT / MYBMP.COM

BMP Lessons from Down Under Now Going Online
The Australian cotton industry over the past two decades has engaged in a transformation to sustainable production and environmental management system that has changed the way cotton is grown in Australia. Now, Cotton BMP is going online with myBMP that will enable the industry to access resources online. The myBMP web site is currently being developed for introduction at the Cotton Conference in August 2010, according to a report based on myBMP.com.

myBMP is a web based system that provides the latest scientific information and knowledge directly to the farm – acting as a one stop shop for the industry.  It does this by linking supporting knowledge, information, and resources to best practice principles and guidelines, allowing growers, ginners & classers immediate access to cutting edge research and industry information as well as industry and extension staff when they have an issue to solve or investigate.

Cotton BMP is a grower-driven environmental management program which has transformed the way cotton is grown in Australia. Over the past 10 years, the cotton industry has proactively managed its actions and risks through the implementation of BMP. Adoption of the Cotton BMP has delivered a sustainable cotton industry which is regarded as maintaining best practices and as a model for change by other sectors of Australian agriculture.

The industry embraced the BMP program with about 60 percent of Australian cotton being grown on BMP-accredited farms and 96 percent of growers seeing BMP as essential to their future. BMP was delivered to growers via a BMP manual and implemented on farm with assistance from industry extension staff, Cotton Australia personnel and cotton consultants.

BMP, in conjunction with the introduction of biotechnology, led to an 85 percent reduction in the use of pesticides on cotton farms and residues found in river systems in cotton growing regions. It also had a direct impact on grower operations by helping to improve water use efficiency and overall profitability.

While the BMP system managed to completely transform the entire cotton industry, the past several years saw a growing recognition of the need to update and expand the scope of the existing module content, but also to find a means to improve the delivery and execution of the program. Over the past two years, the industry has been engaged in a process to completely reinvent BMP - myBMP is the result.

For a grower, myBMP provides the opportunity to self assess their business performance in areas that align with farm business priorities, and compare performance against regional, state and industry performance in key areas.  Growers are able to choose their level of involvement in the programme. Some growers may wish to complete those practices which represent the legal requirements of their operation, others may wish to focus on certain areas in which they wish to improve – myBMP is structured to allow each individual to be involved as they want to be. For those growers wishing to gain myBMP accreditation, a certification programme is available, with a redesigned auditing and assessment structure. Further to this, myBMP also includes two further levels of practices giving growers access to the latest cutting edge information, allowing them to begin to implement or just prepare for those practices that will be considered best practice within the next five and ten years.

In recognition of the importance of best practice along the value chain, the Classing and Ginning sectors of the industry have developed their own BMP Programs in recent years.  These have also been included in myBMP, with classers and ginners able to track their performance over time against their set of best practice guidelines.

PRESS RELEASE / ORGANIC EXCHANGE

Global Organic Cotton Market Grows 35 Percent to $4.3 Billion in 2009: Organic Exchange
Despite the recession, 2009 was a dynamic year for the organic cotton sector. A Press Release by Organic Exchange says global retail sales of organic cotton apparel and home textile products reached an estimated $4.3 billion in 2009, according to the Organic Cotton Market Report 2009 released by the non-profit organization Organic Exchange (OE) last week.

This represents a 35 percent increase from the $3.2 billion market in 2008 and indicates little change from the 40 percent average annual growth rate the organic cotton market has experienced from 2001-2009. It also demonstrates considerable growth at a time when the overall global apparel and household textiles market decreased almost 7 percent from 2008. Companies reported significant, and in some cases phenomenal, growth of their organic cotton programs and increased adoption of standards addressing organic product traceability and sustainable textile processing.

According to the results of OE surveys and interviews, the Top Twelve organic cotton-using brands and retailers globally in 2009 were: C&A (Belgium), Nike, Inc. (Oregon, USA), Walmart (Arkansas, USA), Williams-Sonoma, Inc. (California, USA and recorded last year as Pottery Barn), H&M (Sweden), Anvil Knitwear (New York, USA), Coop Switzerland, Greensource Organic Clothing Co. (Washington, USA), Levi Strauss & Co. (California, USA), Target (Minnesota, USA), adidas (Germany), and Nordstrom (Washington, USA).

“Many people thought the recession would mean an end to all things organic, but the market reacted in quite the opposite way,” said LaRhea Pepper, OE senior director and co-author of the report. “Consumers dug in their heels and continued to support the use of organic cotton and other sustainable fibers, while brands and retailer maintained or even expanded their commitments to making their product lines more sustainable by continuing to increase their use of such fibers and safer manufacturing processes,” she continued.

OE projects the global organic cotton market will grow 20 to 40 percent in both 2010 and 2011 to result in an estimated $5.1 billion market in 2010 and $6.0 billion market in 2011.

The continued rapid expansion of the global organic cotton market was driven in large measure by consumer interest in ‘green’ products, significant expansion of existing organic cotton programs by brands and retailers, and the launch of organic cotton programs by new entrants to the market.

Companies increasingly became certified to traceability standards such as the OE Blended or OE 100 standard as it helps users track their actual use of organic fiber from the field to the finished product, contributing to the increasing integrity of the organic fiber market. Many manufacturers also became certified to the Global Organic Textile Standard (GOTS) which addresses textile’s processing stages and includes strong labor provisions.

Organic cotton production in 2008/09 grew an impressive 20 percent over 2007/08 from 145,872 metric tons (MT) to 175,113 MT (802,599 bales) and was grown on 625,000 acres (253,000 hectares) in 22 countries.

Organic production is based on a system of farming that maintains and replenishes soil fertility without the use of toxic and persistent pesticides and fertilizers or genetically modified seeds.

Australian Cotton Conference to Fashion the Future

Authenticity, traceability and environmental friendliness will be the underlying themes of the Australian cotton industry conference.The 15th Australian Cotton Conference to be held from August 10 – 12, 2010 will cater for the entire cotton supply chain, from the farm to the catwalk. The theme for this year's conference is "Fashioning the Future".

Organisers of the bi-annual event, which will be held from 10 to 12 August on the Gold Coast, are keen to display the major environmental and social inroads that Cotton Australia has been making over the last 10 years through its ‘Best Management Practice’ (BMP) programme, reports Ecotextile.

A session is devoted to exploring Sustainable Farm Futures including Future farming tools, the myBMP best practice program, new picking systems and climate change – a look at what the next generation of cotton growers face, and need to be armed with. The session will cover Sustainability and the future, myBMP and getting online, Future tools for farmers, New picking system, the second generation of cotton growing and Climate change.

“On Farm pesticide use-age has fallen by 85% since the mid 1990’s, and independent studies suggest our water footprint is now less than 52% of the world average,” said Cotton Australia CEO Adam Kay, adding that the BMP program had set out guidelines for retaining healthy soils, using less water, creating safe workplaces and protecting native vegetation.

“Additionally, desktop studies undertaken in 2009 for the UK Carbon Trust showed Australian cotton production had the lowest carbon footprint in terms of ‘on farm emissions’ of any of the major producers in the world.”

BMP farms have also been audited to ensure compliance, and a certification process has been established to ensure the authenticity of Australian BMP cotton shipments. “The Australian industry has been running yarn, fabric and garment trials with some of our ultra high quality seed varieties. When combined with BMP, this produces a highly marketable, completely authentic product,” added Kay.

The comprehensive speaker program will include in-depth agronomy and on-farm research sessions, economic and textile market presentations from international experts and the always Sunrise Resources Fashion Show.

According to Conference Chairman Cleave Rogan, the proposed sessions and topics are the result of wide consultation with peak industry groups, cotton growers, researchers, shippers and the broader textile market.

“Over the years the Conference program has evolved from being mainly research-based to now hearing from growers and consultants themselves, marketers and consumers of our product,” Mr Rogan said in a Press Release.

“At the farm level, the number one issue this year is undoubtedly water sharing policy and how impending changes will affect the industry on the ground. We’ll be devoting a session to water management and the impact of the Murray-Darling Basin Plan and buy backs on individuals and our communities. This will be paired up with lots of presentations from growers and consultants as to how they’re managing water at the farm level, with a good geographical spread and irrigated and dryland examples.

“Importantly, we’ll also hear from international guests about commodity and futures prices, which will be highly topical ahead of the 2010-11 season. Our spinning and retail customers will focus our minds on the world cotton market and what we need to produce to meet our customer’s needs,” Mr Rogan said.

For further information go to http://www.australiancottonconference.com.au/

NEWS REPORT / FINANCIAL EXPRESS

Indian Government to put Organic Chain Tracking Online
The Government of India plans to launch a comprehensive web-based traceability software to trace operations from farms to consumers online called TraceNet. The software has been developed by Agricultural and Processed Food Products Export Development Authority (Apeda) and would boost the existing certification system for the export of organic products, according to a report in the Financial Express.

In 2008-09, India produced more than 1.6 million tonne of certified organic products, of which 10,887 tonne was organic cotton which makes it the largest organic cotton producer in the world. The country exported around 44,476 tonne of organic products in 2008-09, valued at $116 million.

The system would help in maintaining authentic and updated production, certification and export data of organic products online. The traceability software would also have details about farmers and locations and importing countries could track every aspect of the products.

The demand for the organic products such as tea, spices, honey, basmati rice, coffee, cereals, dryfruits, vegetables, garments and medicinal plants have been growing in the recent years as consumers’ preference for green products has been steadily on the rise particularly in Europe, US and other developed countries.

India has put in place standards including norms for organic production and processing, accreditation criteria for certification bodies and norms for the farmers’ group certification for small farmers.

The European Commission and the US, key export destinations for country’s organic product, recognise NPOP standards, due to stringent standards in place. India is the first Asian country to get recognition from EU and Switzerland for equivalence and by US for conformity assessment.

Currently, India ranks 33rd in terms of total global land under organic cultivation. India exported 86 items in 2007-08 having a total volume of 37,533 tonne. The export realisation was around $100.4 million, a growth of 30% over the previous year. Cotton, honey, basmati rice, tea and processed food are the major constituents of the Indian organic food basket.

NEWS REPORT / THE ECONOMIC TIMES

India Shoots for a $1 billion Global Organic Market

India aims to export $1 billion worth of organic products in the next five years as there is greater demand for non-food products such as organic cotton, reports the Economic Times.

"Five years from now, we should aim at achieving $1 billion in organic products export by harnessing the potential in other products like organic cotton and other," Commerce Secretary Rahul Kullar said on the occasion of 10th anniversary of implementation of National Programme for Organic Production (NPOP).

India's organic products exports jumped to $125 million from $12 million in a span of eight years, he said. Khullar also called concerned stakeholders to focus more on promoting organic products in the domestic market. "We are not concerned about organic products not only for export purpose, but also because environment-friendly farm practises will help achieve sustainable agriculture in the country," he said.

So far, the focus on export has been on organic food items, such as, tea and spices. But there is a greater scope in non-organic food items as well, he added.

PRESS RELEASE / SHOP FOR CHANGE

AND is India’s first major retail brand to Shop for Change

Shop for Change has announced a partnership with Anita Dongre and her AND label to launch a range made from 100 per cent Shop for Change Fair Trade certified cotton. According to Shop for Change, Anita Dongre is the first fashion designer, and AND is the first mainstream retail brand in India to launch an entire range of garments make from Shop for Change certified cotton. All AND garments that carry the Shop for Change Mark guarantee that farmers receive a better deal so that they can take care of their families and the environment.

Shop for Change Fair Trade, a not for profit organization which builds on successful international models of fair trade certification, was established by Traidcraft Exchange (UK) and International Resources for Fairer Trade (India) and is funded by the European Union and Dutch Foundations ICCO and Hivos.

In a press release, Anita Dongre, Creative Director, AND said, “Working closely with Shop for Change gives me the opportunity to make a difference. Having visited fair trade farmers in Andhra Pradesh with Shop for Change, I see the importance of introducing this concept into the fashion industry and hope that my fellow designers will also bite this fabulous bug. My new fair trade summer collection is attuned to the fashionable mindset of young Indians. And I’m pleased to announce that AND’s followers can look forward to an even wider range of fashionable fair trade styles in the seasons ahead.”

Shop for Change, a certification body working to promote the concept of fair trade in India, recently partnered with Future Group affiliated store Mother Earth. Commenting on the partnership with AND,
Seth Petchers – CEO, Shop for Change said, “We are delighted to announce this groundbreaking alliance with AND which represents a significant new platform to raise awareness about fair trade. Shop for Change guarantees a better deal for farmers so they can take care of their families and the environment. Simply by choosing garments with the Shop for Change Mark, consumers can make a real difference in the lives poor farming families. Our collaboration with AND is a seismic shift for fair trade in India and a victory for Indian farmers. We look forward to announcing partnerships with many more brands and designers in the near future.”

Gul Panag, actress and active supporter of Shop for Change Fair Trade, is thrilled with this association. “I am a close friend of Anita Dongre and I couldn’t think of a better person to usher fair trade into the mainstream. Anita and I recently visited the farmer group which supplies the cotton for this fabulous new range and saw for ourselves the difference fair trade makes in the lives of disadvantaged farmers. Fair trade has the power to change the face of agriculture in India, empowering farmers to make better lives for themselves and care for the environment. I shop for change because I believe that just by being conscious consumers we can make change happen.”

AND’s new Shop for Change collection is priced between Rs. 895/- to Rs. 1695/- and is available across 16 AND stores plus select Shoppers Stop, Central, Lifestyle, and Pantaloons stores. The Shop for Change certified cotton used for the range is sourced from Chetna Organic Agriculture Producer Company and converted into fabric by West End Fashions, a part of the DM Infra group.

COMMENTARIES / ECOTEXTILE NEWS

Japan outlines new organic cotton rules
The Japanese government has issued a series of guidelines covering the labelling of organic cotton products distributed and sold across the country.

The guidelines from the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry of Japan have been issued in response to growing concerns that while organic cotton products are now widely available in Japan, the approaches towards labelling have been fraught with inconsistencies, leading to misunderstanding and confusion over in the production, distribution, and consumption of organic cotton products.

According to the guidelines, labels must now comply with the Household Goods Quality Labelling Act and should indicate the percentage of organic cotton content of the product as a whole if the product is labelled as organic cotton, or the percentage organic cotton content of the part concerned if parts of a product are labelled separately.

The rules also state that if a product is made partially from organic cotton, the label should state “Composite product made from xx% organic cotton”. More specifically, this means non-GM cotton produced without the use of agricultural chemicals or chemical fertilizers on land where such materials have not been used for around three or more years, and that have been officially certified as such.

It should be pointed out however, that no consideration has been given in the guidelines to the use of chemicals at the processing stage and it is therefore a fibre only standard, comments Ecotextile News.

The guidelines also state that if a product is labelled an organic cotton product, the businesses involved in its production and distribution should ensure traceability. In order to raise the standard of information control, it is also recommended that those companies involved voluntarily undergo objective evaluation.

PRESS RELEASE / ECA

Ethical brands take the lead at Australian Fashion Week

Ethical Clothing Australia is anticipating a wave of interest from forward-looking fashion brands as Rosemount Australian Fashion Week (RAFW) kicks off on May 3 with runway shows from two leading brands that recently completed the Ethical Clothing Australia accreditation process, according to a ECA release.

Ethical Clothing Australia, the not-for-profit initiative which aims to assist the local clothing and fashion industry to ensure that Australian workers receive fair wages and decent conditions, will also have a stall for the week in Emerge at the Overseas Passenger Terminal at Circular Quay to promote their accreditation and labeling system.

Lisa Ho and Ginger Smart, the two fashion brands whose runway shows will open proceedings at RAFW, have both recently completed the accreditation process that allows the brands to display the Ethical Clothing Australia label on their Australian-made garments.

The two brands join a growing list of leading Australian fashion brands, such as Collette Dinnigan, Jets, Cue and Veronika Maine, who are eligible to display the Ethical Clothing Australia label on their Australian-made garments.