35 Facts and stats on Cotton and Organic Cotton
Interesting facts and comparisons on cotton and organic cotton
FACTS AND DATA
Greenly World
11/15/20239 min read
Key differences between organic cotton and regular/conventional cotton
Pesticides - Organic cotton is grown without synthetic pesticides and genetically modified organisms. Conventional cotton heavily relies on pesticides and fertilizers.
Soil health - Organic methods replenish soil nutrients naturally without chemicals. This improves soil structure and biodiversity over the long run. Conventional farming degrades soil.
Water use - Producing organic cotton uses less water than conventional since no irrigation is needed for pesticide application. It also prevents water pollution from chemicals.
Fiber quality - Organic cotton fibers are generally softer and stronger. Conventional cotton is grown with hybrid varieties and yields weaker/lower quality fiber.
Labour practices - Conditions for farmers are better under organic standards which prohibit child labour and adhere to social/welfare regulations.
Carbon emissions - Organic techniques sequester carbon in soil and avoid energy-intensive synthetic inputs/farm machinery.
Certification - Organic is certified to USDA/EU organic standards after rigorous inspection. Conventional has no mandatory sustainability standards.
Pricing - Organic cotton commands a premium price for discerning customers focused on ethically-made sustainable fashion.
Is reguar cotton eco friendly?
Regular or conventional cotton production is generally not considered very eco-friendly for several key reasons:
Pesticide and chemical use: Conventional cotton relies heavily on pesticides and synthetic fertilizers which can contaminate soil and waterways if not properly managed. Their production is also fossil fuel intensive.
25 % of the world's pesticide use is applied in the cotton production
Water consumption: It takes around 2,700 litres of water to produce just one t-shirt. Cotton farming is one of the most water-intensive crops and a major contributor to depleted aquifers in some regions.
Soil degradation: Heavy use of chemicals damages the fertile topsoil and degrades its quality and biodiversity over time if not practiced sustainably.
Greenhouse gas emissions: Various production stages like tilling, irrigation, spraying and harvesting involve fossil fuel use which releases carbon emissions into the atmosphere.
Waste generation: Excess pesticides, fertilizer run-off and agricultural waste cause pollution. Chemical residue also remains in cotton fiber.
Impact on farmers: Conventional farming relies on expensive purchased inputs which impacts small farmer livelihoods and communities in developing nations.
Lack of standards: There are no mandatory international standards regulating social/environmental practices unlike organic cotton certification.
What is Cotton and how is it produced?
Cotton is a soft, fluffy staple fiber that grows around the seeds of the cotton plant, a shrub native to tropical and subtropical regions around the world.
The cotton plant is part of the genus Gossypium in the mallow family Malvaceae. There are four domesticated species that are cultivated to produce cotton commercially.
Cotton fibers are produced in the seed pod (boll) of the cotton plant. Each boll can contain hundreds of seeds surrounded by the fibers.
To produce cotton, the seeds are first planted in warm, fertile soil. As the plant matures, it grows flowers that form seed pods called bolls.
The cotton fiber develops inside the boll and grows around each seed. As the boll ripens, the fibers stretch and thicken. Bolls are harvested by hand or machine. The seeds are separated from the fibers via a process called ginning.
Ginning involves using a saw or roller to separate the seeds from the fibers. The fibers are then baled for transport and the seeds are processed or sold separately.
Cotton fiber is spun into thread or yarn which can then be used to make fabric by weaving, knitting or other methods. After further processing it is ready to be made into final products like clothing.
The main cotton producing countries in 2021 were India, China, USA, Brazil, Pakistan, Turkey, Uzbekistan and Australia.
What is Organic Cotton and how is it produced?
Organic cotton is cotton that is grown and processed according to organic agricultural standards. Here are some key things to know about organic cotton production:
It is grown without the use of synthetic fertilizers, pesticides, herbicides or genetically modified organisms.
Organic methods focus on improving soil health through techniques like crop rotation, green manures, compost and biological pest control.
The seeds must be untreated and non-GMO. Strong buffer zones are required around GMO crops to prevent pollen drift.
Farms producing organic cotton must undergo third-party certification and be inspected annually to ensure they meet organic standards.
The land must go through a transition period of 3 years without chemicals before organic production can begin.
Organic cotton is rain-fed or irrigated using water conservation methods like drip irrigation.
Pests are managed using techniques like beneficial insect habitat, pheromone traps, microbials and botanical extracts.
Weeds are controlled through techniques like hand weeding, mulching, flaming and grazing of livestock.
Certified organic cotton is segregated from conventional cotton throughout the supply chain via an audit trail.
The aim of organic production methods is to improve soil, protect water resources and prioritize environmental and farm worker health.
Top 10 countries that produced the most cotton
The total amount of cotton produced in 2023 is roughly estimated to be 25 million metric tonnes.
According to Statista and various reliable sources the countries that produces the most cotton is China, as seen from Statista's data:
China has the most cotton production at roughly 6 883 thousand metric tons
India - 5661 thousand metric tons
U.S - 3150 thousand metric tons
Brazil - 3150 thousand metric tons
Australia - 1263 thousand metric tons
Turkey - 1067 thousand metric tons
Pakistan - 849 thousand metric tons
Uzbekistan - 740 thousand metric tons
Argentina - 245 thousand metric tons
Mali - 160 thousand metric tons
Conventional cotton production is around 98.6 % of the total cotton production, the 1.4% remaining is from organic cotton, as seen from the graph below.
Global CO2 Emissions and Water Consumption from Cotton Production
Conventioal cotton production is not as sustainable as it could be for the moment. When it comes to CO2 emissions and especially water consumption, conventional cotton production is emitting great amounts.
Carbon Emissions:
Planting, growing and harvesting 1kg of cotton creates emissions of 4kg of CO2.
For a typical cotton T-shirt (250g cotton), emissions are around 1kg of CO2.
Manufacturing, dyeing and finishing of cotton fibers contributes most emissions - over 70% of a garment's carbon footprint on average.
Water Consumption:
It takes around 2,700 litres of water to produce just 1 t-shirt made of conventional cotton.
Conventional cotton farming depletes aquifers and river basins substantially. India for example exhausts over 50% of its annual water reserves just on cotton production.
The construction of irrigation infrastructure for cotton fields also contributes to emissions through concrete and machinery usage.
Knowing the amount of cotton production per year will give a rough estimate on how much CO2 is emitted from conventional cotton production. From the data, we've made an analysis based on the existing data that is known, the following graph demonstrates roughly the amount of CO2 emissions per year.
Top 8 Organic Cotton Production Countries
The top organic cotton producing countries by volume were:
India (38% of global production)
Turkey (24%)
China (10%)
Kyrgyzstan (9%)
Tanzania (6%)
Kazakhstan (4%)
Tajikistan (4%)
United States (2%)
The top 8 countries accounted for over 96% of global organic cotton production, and the total amount of organic production per year is estimated to be 350 000 tons, which is 1.4 % of the total cotton production as previously mentioned.
Conventional Cotton vs Organic Cotton Emissions Comparison
Organic Cotton which is estimated to be 1.4% of the global cotton production emits way less, however that's partly because it's only a fraction in quantity in comparision to conventional cotton. In terms of data here are the numbers for CO2 emissions and water consumption for organic cotton production:
Carbon Emissions:
Organic cotton cultivation emits around 2.5kg CO2 per kg of fiber produced.
For a 250g organic cotton t-shirt, emissions are around 0.625kg CO2.
Water Consumption:
On average, organic cotton uses around 30% less water than conventional methods.
It takes around 1900 litres of water to produce 1kg of organic cotton fiber.
By comparison, conventional cotton uses 2700 litres per kg.
For an organic cotton t-shirt (250g fiber), water usage is around 475 litres.
From this, a more nuanced comparison can be made. Looking at CO2 emissions, we've made an estimation based on if organic cotton was 100 % of all cotton production, how would it compare to the emissions conventional cotton.
Based on the estimations, organic cotton saves around 37.5 % of the global CO2 emissions in comparison to conventional cotton production and 3750000 metric tons of CO2, if organic cotton were produced at the same level of conventional cotton.
In terms of water consumption, same methodology can be approached by scaling up the organic cotton production and using the estimates water consumption of 1 kg produced conventional cotton and organic cotton:
Organic Cotton uses 30 % less water than cotton per kg, and when scaling up the global organic cotton production, it amounts to 46 588 500 000 Liters or 12307379661 gallon (US), in comparison to the global conventional cotton production of roughly 66 555 000 000 Liters (17581970945 gallons).
That's 46 588 500 m3 (cubic meters) and 66 555 000 m3 for conventional cotton.
This amount to a difference of 19965500000 Liters or 19 965 500 m3. That's equivalent to 277 626 swimming pools worth of saved water.
In summary, here is a table of all the CO2 and water saved in comparison to organic cotton and conventional cotton production:
Summary
In summary the conventional production is very dominant still producing over 98 % of total cotton production, while orgnanic cotton is only 1.4 % however the growth of orgnanic cotton has increased exponentially over the last few years. Cotton production emits alot CO2 emissions and uses alot more water consumption than orgnanic cotton, in addition organic is free from pesticide use, which may be harmful for ecosystems and humans as well. However, the organic cotton production is more expensive at the moment, but the growth of organic cotton is expected to be even larger in the foreseeable future. If you are convinced to choose organic cotton over conventional cotton, we've made reviews on some organic cotton sheets
FAQs on Cotton and Organic Cotton
What countries are the largest cotton producers?
The largest cotton producing countries are India, China, USA, Brazil, Pakistan, Turkey, Uzbekistan and Australia.What is the difference between conventional and organic cotton?
Organic cotton is grown without the use of synthetic fertilizers, pesticides, herbicides or GMOs. Conventional cotton relies heavily on these chemical inputs.How is organic cotton produced?
Organic cotton farms must follow methods like crop rotation, composting, and biological pest control. They are certified through rigorous third-party inspections.What are the benefits of organic cotton?
Organic production methods focus on soil health, water conservation and eliminating synthetic chemicals. This protects farmworkers, consumers and the environment.How much land is used for organic cotton farming?
In 2020/21 there was approximately 915,000 hectares of certified organic and in-conversion land producing organic cotton globally.What countries lead in organic cotton production?
The largest producers are India, Turkey, China, Kyrgyzstan, Tanzania, Kazakhstan, Tajikistan and the USA.Is organic cotton more expensive for consumers?
Typically yes, due to higher production costs. However, the rising demand and area of organic cotton farming has helped lower prices in recent years.How can I identify organic cotton items?
Look for certifications like GOTS, OCS or USDA OrganicAre there any challenges with organic cotton adoption?
Access to non-GMO seeds, pest management and crop yields present challenges. However, education programs and long-term brand partnerships are helping address these.
Sources
Textile Exchange OMCR 2022
Statista.com
Quantis (2018), "Measuring Fashion: Environmental Impact of the Global Apparel and Footwear Industries Study"
Water Footprint Network, "Product Gallery: Water Footprint of T-Shirts"
Greenly World Copyright
Greenly World Copyright
Greenly World Copyright
Greenly World Copyright
Greenly World Copyright
We've found some interesting facts on cotton and organic cotton and made some comparative analysis on their global CO2 emissions and water consumption.
NB: These are based on rough estimates, and any use of our data can be used or cited as long as citation is applied.
Table of contents:
What is Cotton and it is produced
Top 10 Countries with the highest cotton production
Is Cotton eco friendly
What is Organic Cotton and how is it produced?
Key difference between Cotton and Organic Cotton
Top 8 Countries that produced Organic Cotton
Global CO2 emissions and water consumption from Cotton production
Conventional Cotton vs Organic Cotton Emissons Comparison
Summary
Contacts
greenlyworld@hotmail.com