Organic Cotton

Why organic cotton?

Conventional cotton (“regular” cotton) as used in the world today, is the second-most pesticide-laden crop!  [The first is conventional coffee.  The third is tobacco.]  When we look around us at everything that's made from conventional cotton, including our own clothing, we are looking at items whose production is causing huge damage to our environment.  For more information on this problem, see  http://www.maggiesorganics.com/theenvironment.php

Nicaragua’s cotton production history Cotton, historically one of Nicaragua’s main exports, has almost disappeared from agricultural production in the country.  Once farmed in giant tracts of land, the uninterrupted expanse of cotton made the crop easy pickings for the boll weevil.  To combat the boll weevil, farmers used more pesticides which were expensive, and made it risky to plant cotton, all of which contributed to the decline of cotton in Nicaragua.  The production of organic cotton, however, focuses on cultivating small parcels of land, regular crop rotation and close monitoring by hand during the cultivation process; all of which make organic cotton less susceptible to many of the difficulties found in conventional cotton production.  In addition, the international market for organic cotton is experiencing unprecedented growth: in 2007, demand exceeded supply, and prices increased by more than fifty percent.

The CDCA’s Organic Cotton project For all of these reasons, the CDCA is promoting an integrated project to reintroduce organic cotton production in Nicaragua and provide a market to purchase this raw cotton. Small organic farmers working with the agricultural cooperative (COPROEXNIC) of the CDCA are beginning to to incorporate organic cotton into their current crop rotations. In 2007, 43 farmers grew cotton that produced 43,100 pounds of processed fiber. In 2008 excessive rain prevented many farmers from planting, but those who did produced 14,700 pounds of processed fiber. In 2009 drought meant that only 11 farmers could plant, but those produced 33,500 pounds of fiber. In 2010 the program really took off with 42 participating famers - including two women's cooperatives producing 400,000 pounds of seed cotton. Growing cotton as part of their coop rotation has allowed participating farmers to increase their families' annual income by an average of 43%.  .

Our agronomist provides training and oversite.

In 2008 we set up a ginning operation to gin and bale the organic cotton.The gin has been installed next to the spinning plant to process the organic cotton grown by COPROEXNIC farmers and employs 18 people seasonally.

Genesis unloading container of organic cotton

Genesis setting first building columns.

• organic cotton farmers (their cotton is also FLO certified)
• cotton gin
• Genesis spinning plant
• knitter in Costa Rica
• 3 cut & sew shops in Costa Rica and Nicaragua
• Maggie's Organics
• Vegi Kids screen printer