Organic Cotton

This book provides the first overview of organic cotton production, processing and consumption for everyone involved with cotton. Organic agriculture is gaining ground rapidly and organic cotton provides important environmental, economic and social benefits compared with conventional cotton production. In addition, policy makers, journalists, farmers' organizations, environmentalists, agronomists, those involved in commerce and industry and informed consumers will find much here of interest. Commercial organic cotton production is a new area of activity'barely ten years old'and research and analysis is still at an early stage. Existing results are presented here with material commissioned specially for the book. The book is organized according to the stages in the "cotton chain", from farmer to consumer, and covers each topic authoritatively with contributions from over 50 people in 20 countries. Illustrative case study material is particularly important and most of the current organic cotton projects worldwide are discussed.