Now, more than any other time in cotton industry history, the importance of working towards a more socially and environmentally sustainable business cannot be understated.

A world where water and food security are at the forefront of every nation’s thinking, the cotton industry as a whole must learn to adapt some dated methods or run the risk of becoming increasingly marginalized. Not only are very public questions being raised on how cotton land and water could be put to more essential and efficient use, but the environmental streamlining of cottonΆs major fiber competitor – polyester – continues unabated.

CottonΆs fiber market share has been in gradual decline for a number of years – from 60% in the 1960s to just over 30% today. During this time, polyester has emerged as the major off-taker of this volume, a trend that has accelerated over the last decade. There are a number of contributing factors to this shift, but cotton has been on the receiving end of punishing price spikes in the last few years, which has left the more competitively priced polyester free to capitalize on hefty chunks of market share. Cotton prices have now corrected to more viable levels, stemming the flow into polyester somewhat; however, damage has been done and it is now crucial for the future of the cotton trade that it excels in its next major long-term challenge – sustainability.

Both cotton and polyester face significant hurdles in securing future production levels while allaying environmental concerns. Cotton faces very real land and water availability issues; polyester is intrinsically linked to petroleum production, a finite source surrounded by extensive pollution reservations. Recently, there have been major – albeit expensive – strides in the recycling of plastic bottles and polyester waste into yarn. If this is developed into a feasible business concern on a larger scale, it would represent a tremendous step forward and quite a sustainability coup for the man-made fiber. This begs the question – what can the cotton industry do to keep pace and avoid being condemned to a niche luxury item in the coming years?

There have been a number of initiatives launched within the industry over the past few years, with varying degrees of impact and success thus far. Perhaps the largest movements have been in organic cotton, the Better Cotton Initiative (BCI) and Cotton made in Africa (CmiA). All of these programs have a plethora of commendable principles but are they practical enough to cause a sea change in the way the trade functions now?

The demand for organic cotton has diminished in recent times as the bite of recession seriously questions end consumerΆs commitment to the cause. The ethos of the organic cotton movement insists on the elimination of synthetic fertilizer and pesticide use – undoubtedly a positive environmental step – but an ultimately restrictive and expensive one. Without the strong backing of the paying public, such innovation will not gain the traction required for change within the industry. This has been borne out by the fact that organic cotton currently contributes to less than 1% of the worldΆs total cotton production.

BCI has adopted a more encompassing strategy to improve both environmental and social conditions, while ensuring a prohibitive premium is not attached. The less restrictive production criteria means that conventional cotton farmers from all over the world can realistically adjust their everyday practices to noticeably reduce the negative impacts of producing cotton. Better use of land, water and chemicals is counseled and an attitude of gradual improvement is fostered.

Personally, I have noticed an encouraging reaction to the availability of BCI cotton from a number of major textile mills – indeed demand has grown significantly over the last 12 months. The presence of major retail brands such as Ikea, Tesco and H&M as members of the BCI mission has certainly added serious impetus. While this can be deemed a positive industry step along the road of sustainability, we must remember that the vast bulk of cotton produced in the world today is still conventional. It is therefore vital that any notion of labeling conventional cotton as a flawed relative of BCI is avoided, as this would cause a division that the industry can ill afford. Instead, BCI should be advertised as a real signal of intent by the cotton business to meet the challenges of tomorrow.

The advent of BCI, CmiA and organic cotton has shown us that sustainability can be positively impacted at any stage of the textile chain; we all have a part to play. Harmful environmental and social conditions do not just exist on farms, but also in textile factories. The philosophy of education and transparency handed out to producers is just as valid for the rest of the chain.

Another area in which significant progress is being made is seed development.This is a field which I feel can complement BCIΆs less restrictive production criteria and contribute greatly to cottonΆs quest for sustainability. Huge strides have been made already with the introduction of seeds that can eliminate many destructive bugs, limiting the need for particular pesticides. The next challenge for the seed scientists is drought resistant cotton. If a plant can be developed that requires less water and can better endure times of drought conditions, then an answer to cottonΆs water usage issue may well be under way.

Headway is being made within the industry to make cotton a more viable fiber option when based solely on environmental and social factors. However, if these endeavors are not picked up and fully understood by the public, the surrendering of market share to polyester will inevitably continue. To this end, promoting cotton as the eco-friendly fiber of choice is almost as important as the actual work taking place behind it. Positive cotton column inches have been in short supply recently, but the fact remains that it is still the natural, renewable fiber that supports millions of livelihoods in all corners of the globe.

In my opinion, a general public informed and reassured about the practices of the cotton industry as a whole, will much easier allow the natural superior quality of cotton to make their buying decisions. The road to sustainability may be a long and challenging one, but with each step forward we are ensuring that cotton continues to play a significant role in the future of textiles and remains “the fabric of our lives”.