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Is cotton a sustainable fiber? In my last series of posts, I have tried to look at the issue of sustainable cotton production from many perspectives in order to answer that question. I have interviewed individuals on both sides of the debate to answer the question: Is organic cotton a more sustainable option that conventional cotton? In both cases, it seems the answer is: it depends. My conclusion is there is no easy answer.
Certainly there are people in the industry with very strong opinions about the subject, and these individuals can be very persuasive when debating their views. Cotton Inc. represents all cotton producers, yet it was clear in my interviews that they lean toward the view that organic cotton is not economically sustainable and that genetically modified cotton is here to stay. So does the executive director of the International Cotton Advisory Committee who strongly endorsed Bt cotton (genetically modified) and was quoted in an article in the Business Standard, November 8, 2011 as saying organic cotton production is a public relations gimmick. On the other hand, the Textile Exchange strongly supports the growth of organic cotton, worldwide, and believes Bt cotton is not sustainable. And in the middle, the Sustainable Cotton Project and the Better Cotton Initiative believe the use of technology and alternative agricultural practices can mitigate much of the environmental damage of conventional cotton growing without economic loss.
So, which is more sustainable, organic or conventional or better cotton? It depends on who you ask! But, in developing one’s personal opinion on the subject, it is essential to critically analyze the merits of all sides of the debate.
In each encounter during my investigation, I have relied on the answers to the following questions when assessing the validity of the opinions of the experts I interviewed.
- What are the credentials of the individual or organization espousing the opinion?
- What data has the individual or organization used to develop their viewpoint?
- How valid it that data?
- What does the person or organization stand to gain or lose in the debate and how does that influence their opinion?
After independently researching the production of cotton, both conventional and organic, after talking with experts from both sides of the debate and after personally visiting fields where both methods are used, I still don’t have the answer. Or maybe that is the answer. There is no one “best” solution to the sustainability of cotton production. Instead there are advantages and drawbacks to all methods.
Perhaps we shouldn’t be trying to find a definitive answer to the debate of which is “best”, organic or conventional cotton. Perhaps the sustainable solution is both. A single way of doing things is seldom sustainable. In fact, that is one of the big concerns about growing “mono crops” rather than fostering diversity in the agricultural landscape. Fostering diversity is what environmental experts promote as a more sustainable solution to most things. So, why not with cotton too?
