What is the difference between sustainable, traceable and organic cotton? Or is it all the same? Read further and find out.
Sustainability is defined “as finding the balance between profitability, protecting the environment and being socially responsible”. According to the United Nations, sustainability in the cotton industry means the ability to produce cotton today without reducing the ability of future generations to do the same.
Traceable cotton is tracked in a traceability system from the farm to the shelf. Such as system follows specific rules that define the data that must be gathered and stored at each stage of the supply chain.
The purpose of traceability is to:
• Improve the integrity of the supply chain by substantiating label claims.
• Trace materials back to their origin.
• Support effective audits by having complete records at hand.
• Respond quickly and effectively to crisis situations such as recalls.
Organic cotton is grown without using non-renewable resources such as synthetic fertilisers and pesticides. The farming practices prohibit the use of genetically engineered seed an to be even considered organic, the cotton has to be planted in soil that had been chemical-free for three years.
