Socio Economic Analysis of Organic Cotton

Abstract

Cotton is the most important agricultural and industrial commodity of world wide. India has secured a place of pride at the Global cotton scenario due to several distinctive features such as first rank in the world cotton acreage, second rank in textile processing capacity, third in cotton production, second largest producer of extra-long-stable cotton and native home for coloured cotton. No crop of commerce in the world can complete with cottons potential in processing for value. For Example, by exporting one lakh bales of raw cotton, India can earn Rs. 100 crores, but by exporting cotton in the form of Garments we can earn Rs. 800 crores. Cotton is not only a highly value added crop, but also a highly Pollutant crop. Cotton is a chemical intensive crop. Nearly 25% of world Agricultural Chemical applied to cotton which uses 3% of Earths Agricultural land. In India 55% of Agricultural Pesticides are applied to cotton crop which share only 5% of total cultivated area. Every year USA is exporting Rs. 1400 crores worth of pesticides which are legally prohibited from use in USA. Of the total agricultural pesticides applied in India 70% of them are prohibited from use in the developed countries. Because they are very dangerous to human health. To many of us, cotton is the “Natural Fibre” – the environmentally healthy alternative to man-made chemical fibre. But it will, come as a shock to learn that the growing and processing of cotton over the last 300 years has led to some of the greatest social and environment disaster in all human history. Fortunately an alternative is on the horizon. Organic cotton is poised to revolutionize the way cotton is produced and processed.