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.

PRESS RELEASE / TECHTEXTIL NORTH AMERICA 2010

Techtextil to Showcase Technologies for greener textiles

Technical textile companies from around the world will showcase their latest environmentally friendly products and advanced technologies in textiles, nonwovens and materials during Techtextil North America 2010 in Atlanta, Georgia.
Scheduled for May 18 - 20, 2010, the show represents all aspects of the technical textile industry from research and development, through to raw materials and production processes, to conversion, further treatment and recycling.

PRESS RELEASE / COTTON INCORPORATED

US Cotton Industry Launches Cotton Lifecycle Inventory & Analysis

To position itself for the 21st Century, the U.S. cotton industry is examining itself from field to fabric, according to a press release by Cotton Incorporated. 

US Industry, mobilizing under an initiative called “Vision 21,” are compiling a comprehensive cotton lifecycle inventory (LCI). That inventory’s data will serve as a foundation for global cotton lifecycle evaluations -- ultimately providing a credible foundation for sustainable textile operations.

The LCI/LCA project will use data from the top cotton-producing countries of India, China and the United States. Similarly, a sampling of key cotton textile-producing countries, including India, China, the United States, Turkey and Latin America, will be used for manufacturing benchmarking.

The U.S. cotton industry is confident that a transparent and well-documented cotton lifecycle inventory – one that easily can be integrated into both proprietary and open source LCA software – will benefit the industry. And, along with data set collection and tool creation, the ultimate goal is to make the information globally available.

The effort, expected to take about a year, involves The Cotton Foundation, the National Cotton Council (NCC), Cotton Council International (CCI) and Cotton Incorporated. The groups have tapped PE Americas, a recognized leader in the field of LCI collection and lifecycle analysis (LCA) tool development, to head up the project.

According to the release, lifecycle assessment is a recognized method of objectively and scientifically evaluating the resource requirements of a given product and the product’s potential environmental impact during its production, use and disposal.

J. Berrye Worsham, president and CEO of Cotton Incorporated, is quoted as saying, “The goal of the collection of this current, third-party and peer-reviewed data is that it will become a gold standard for manufacturers, brands and retailers interested in bettering their environmental bottom line and serve to further demonstrate the environmental gains the US cotton industry continues to make along every link of the supply chain.”

NEWS REPORTS / MESSE FRANKFURT

Messe Frankfurt acquires Ethical Fashion Show

Messe Frankfurt recently announced the acquisition of Paris-based Ethical Fashion Show, the six-year-old event which is one of the highlights of busy Paris Fashion Week. The absorption of Ethical Fashion Show by the world's third biggest trade fair firm with annual turnover of almost half a billion euros (671 million dollars) demonstrates the interest being generated in sustainable development globally.

While the market for ethical fashion is far more dynamic in Britain, where there is a fiercer emphasis on dressing different, Paris's Ethical Fashion Show is currently the world's largest event spotlighting eco and fair-trade fashion.

The Ethical Fashion Show was launched in 2004 by Isabelle Quéhé and now features more than 100 brands covering couture, accessories, ready-to-wear garments, sportswear and street wear. It focuses exclusively on ecological, socially responsible and environmentally friendly garment production.

Since its inception in 2004, Ethical Fashion Show strives to publicize the ethical fashion which includes economic, human and environmental aspects.

One of the focus areas for ethical fashion show is fashion that respects the environment through standards for raw material including cotton which represents 70% of the world’s textile production, accounting for only 4% of the cultivated land but 25% of the pesticides used.

For The Ethical Fashion Show, being part of Messe Frankfurt's portfolio of trade events will allow it to develop its international presence while for Messe Frankfurt, the acquisition means it now covers the entire value chain in the textile-fair sector.

In the world's fashion capital, the growing success of the Ethical show has acted as a catalyst, spurring a bevy of mainstream trade fairs to host eco and fair-trade corners of their own.

Likewise, Messe Frankfurt's own twice-yearly textile shows in Paris now feature eco-labelling -- giving the tens of thousands of buyers who pour into the city an instant look at who is offering organic cottons, or fabrics certified under fair trade practices. This year's event will take place September 25 to 28 at Paris' new Fashion and Design City at the Docks en Seine.

PRESS RELEASE / ORGANIC EXCHANGE

Organic Exchange Announces 5 year goals

Organic Exchange has announced a series of new initiatives that it hopes will advance the sustainable development of textiles across the global supply chain between now and 2015.

Organic Exchange Proposed Deliverables 2010-2015 include:

• Inform and inspire individuals and their organizations to integrate environmental and social considerations into the global textile business.
• Become the international institution where innovation and information around sustainability in the textile value chain is captured, validated, and disseminated.
• Promote the engagement of farmers, other fiber producers, and supply chain manufacturers within the textile value chain. Provide the tools and resources to advance their efforts to improve sustainability practices in raw materials.
• Help standardize textile product integrity by becoming the recognized authority on integrity within the textile industry.  As a leading authority, play a role as mentor and capacity-builder across the value chain. Research and provide access to information on relevant standards and practices that support organic and sustainable textile claims.
• Develop and implement chain-of-custody standards and systems to support sustainability claims. Create the one stop, sustainable textiles help desk for tracking issues and getting expert feedback quickly.
• Build a compelling regional partner portfolio and a network of sustainable design, development, production, and product experts.
• Create global forums, blogs, and other communications platforms around integrity and innovation in global sustainable textile issues.
• Maintain a database of companies offering innovation, best practices, and authenticity of sustainable textile products and processes.
• Gather, synthesize, and publish data on trends and issues that impact textile sustainability.
• Develop sustainable textile messaging material that brands can customize to influence and educate their employees, stakeholders, and consumers.
• Provide coaching, advising, and direct consulting services for development and validation of company sustainable textile strategy.
• Deliver an assessment tool that companies can use to evaluate the sustainability of textile products and processes and make informed decisions.
• Develop an industry-wide ‘Factory Environmental Performance Standard’ that can be used to evaluate individual factories and/or mills on environmental criteria (water, chemicals, energy, etc.).
• Connect funders and investors with the textile value chain and our accredited implementation partners.

PRESS RELEASE / H&M

H&M launches fully Sustainable Collection

Swedish Retailer H&M has launched its fully sustainable line, the Garden Collection.

The romantic garden collection is made using organic cotton and recycled materials. All the garments have been produced using sustainable materials or using recycled PET bottles or textile waste.

The collection includes a feminine chiffon dress made from recycled polyester with a colourful garden print, a pinafore dress in organic cotton with romantic roses and a smock dress in organic cotton with an ethnic floral pattern. An organic cotton top in a small floral design or a frilly chiffon top made from recycled polyester can be combined with cropped trousers or shorts in organic cotton and/or linen. A beige anorak can be worn over a floral jumpsuit, both of which come in tencel.

H&M's most important sustainable material right now is organic cotton. H&M has been selling clothes containing organic cotton since 2004, and are still continuing to invest in this initiative. The aim is to increase the use of organically grown cotton by 50% every year until 2013.

H&M’s Garden Collection—which features sustainable fibers throughout the line—hit stores on March 25. The Garden Collection aligns with H&M’s wider commitment to organic cotton and sustainable fashion plans for 2010, and prices for the new line remain consistent with other H&M products.