There is apparently a great deal of agreement that cotton is a plant whose thirst is so immense that it can hardly be cultivated without major moral concerns. Such statements disregard important differentiations and shorten problems – and that is why we hope to be able to straighten one or the other aspect with this text. Also, the topic is at the very core of our daily work and hence needs to be shared.
The numbers that are frequently encountered in connection with the water consumption of cotton are somewhere between 10,000 and 17,000 liters of water per kilogram – and are, according to the Bremen Cotton Exchange, which has been dealing with the subject in detail for years, far too high. First of all, you may need to understand the basics of how the cotton plant »ticks«. It is a so-called xerophyte – that means that it‘s literally a plant which likes it dry. Xerophytes are usually very well adapted to drought and can store water accordingly.
Cotton needs, that is a fact, too, quite a lot of water in the first three months at the beginning of its growth, especially to ensure good yields. In the subsequent growth cycles, however, it would potentially survive with rainwater. Cotton plants have a wide, fine root system that allows them to easily access water reserves in the soil. A natural irrigation that is aware of nature‘s rhythm would obviously be the best method, yet is being used the least. This is where one of the central problems lies: if the soils lose their water storage capacity due to monocultures, then the plant is also deprived of the opportunity to access this water.
And there is another consequence that is directly connected to it and is even more far-reaching: the way in which irrigation is being performed. With surface irrigation, which is used far too often the first choice, more than half of the water being used evaporates – as opposed to the plants using it up, as it’s being pictured a lot. An alternative would be drip irrigation, during which water is injected underground into the soil. This method is not only the better choice in terms of water consumption, but would also prevent salinization of the soil. The fact that a considerable amount of pesticides is used in the cultivation of conventional cotton is a problem that would require its own text, but should at least be mentioned.
During our trip to Uganda in December 2017, we got to see a quite perfect example of how to cultivate cotton. While we were there, the cotton was harvested – since it’s been during the summer time. In the months after, from March to May and September to November, the strong rain periods that are significant to the region, are being used for natural irrigation. The linchpin of all negative scenarios is the false promise that cotton can be grown in very different regions. Of course, this is linked to economic interests and hopes. The ideal conditions, however, only exist between the 32nd degree of latitude south and the 37th degree of latitude north: in regions in Africa, India or Turkey, in other words, which have a sufficiently good balance between drought, heat and rainfall.
The more northern cotton is grown – and unfortunately this is what’s happening now – the stronger and more consistent the resources that need to be taken to satisfy the needs of the plant. If the consequent triad of wrong location selection, monocultures and wrong irrigation systems were finally named and critically discussed as such, the image of the cotton plant would certainly be different – and we truly hope that it will be discussed more differentiating in the future. 7 Speaking of differentiation: what is frighteningly often neglected is a separate consideration of conventional cotton on the one hand and organic cotton on the other. According to an analysis of the life cycle of organic cotton published by Textile Exchange in 2014, the water consumption of sustainable cotton is 91% lower than that of conventional cotton. In addition, where organic cotton is grown, the soils are more able to store water – due to changing crop rotations, thanks to which sufficient organic substances can accumulate in the soil.
Our organic fabrics naturally only contain certified cotton that comes from Turkey or Uganda – because it is important and natural for us to make our contribution to a sustainable, resource-saving cotton cultivation. That, too, is one of the reasons why we travel to Turkey, Uganda, or India: we’re urgently trying to inform ourselves and get a grasp of how to deal with the topic. Since it is also a matter close to our heart to conduct and force critical discussions on this topic, you can contact us at any time should you have any further questions or comments.
