Engage Connecting organic cotton farming communities

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1 In this issue >>> Welcome to our first edition Meet the Farm Engagement Team Who we are and what we do Regional roundup Dates for diaries What we will bring you each month... Engage Connecting organic cotton farming communities Organic Exchange Monthly Farm Bulletin Issue 1, July 2010 Welcome to the first edition of Engage! The ambition of this monthly bulletin is to bring organic cotton growers all over the world closer together to share ideas, challenges, views and successes. We hope you will enjoy receiving our bulletin and that each month it helps bring us closer together as a community. Since this is our first publication we would like to take the time to introduce ourselves, our values and our ambitions. Starting next month we will be bringing you more news and views, special features and regional spotlights. To help us get off to the best possible start we are asking you to write in with your ideas and suggestions for what you want to see in this bulletin. So now is the time to tell us more about the things you want to hear about, and how we can use this newsletter to better connect with you. Please send your ideas into us (contact details are on the last page of this publication). Liesl Truscott Director, Farm Engagement Who we are. What we do. The Farm Engagement Team Yes we have had a name change but most of the team you may already know. We will continue to work just as closely with organic cotton farmers in the regions we are based and through our partnerships in regions where we are not physically located. Our ambition as a team is to help build the best organic cotton business possible, and to make sure you the farmers get the best out of going organic. This means we want to see you enjoy long term success to find economic rewards, environmental stability and for your success to bring benefits to your local communities and a bright future for your children. We will continue to bring our expertise to support the development of your organic farms, but we will be taking a particular interest in helping you participate in robust value chains. This means finding ways to improve understanding and relationships between you, as producers, and the many companies, retailers and brands you do business with. We think organic is a sound and effective model for growing cotton, particularly on small-scale farms and we have enshrined this belief in our values statement. Our Values We believe cotton that is produced organically and with integrity should be the flagship of the cotton industry. We are committed to supporting fair and transparent value chains. We are committed to promoting the environmental, social and economic stability that organic farming delivers to farmers, communities and our planet. We are a small team with a big vision. We envision a sector with wellorganised farmer groups enjoying access to stable and rewarding value chains. We envision healthy lifestyles, healthy communities and a healthy environment. We see the future as Organic by choice.

2 A word from our Senior Director >>> Organic Cotton, a signature program of Organic Exchange, is a catalyst that allows many of the social, economic, and environmental issues associated with conventional cotton production to be addressed environmental issues, climate change, bio diversity, water quality and utilization, food security, human rights and social issues, as well as poverty in agricultural communities. By facilitating the expansion of organic fiber agriculture, we, in association with our members and stakeholders, can continue to have a positive, significant, visible, and measurable impact on the world. La Rhea Pepper Organic Cotton Farmer, Founding Partner and Senior Manager Organic Exchange Liesl Truscott (Farm Engagement Director) Prabha Nagaraja (Regional Director-India) Alfonso Lizarraga (Regional Director-Latin America) Meet your Farm Engagement team Liesl Truscott, Farm Engagement Director, Based in the UK - I think the best way to create positive change is through understanding, empathy and communications. If there is more transparency and closer ties between members of the supply chain better, more innovative, ways of working can be discovered. Prabha Nagarajan, Regional Director, India - The vision for Organic cotton will be realized only with a combination of sincerity of purpose, bold leadership, insight, and a high level of integrity of all the members in the value chain. Those higher up have the power to reduce the poverty and vulnerability of the organic cotton farmer. It is my endeavour to act as an agent of change. There is much to be accomplished. Alfonso Lizarraga, Regional Director, Latin America - For me, supporting the development of organic cotton is a passion. I am a scientist by profession but it s the practical application of this I enjoy the most. I see myself as a farm innovator, and I find great sense of purpose in shaping what I know - technically and scientifically - to match the needs and situation of each farmer I work with. Silvere Tovignan, Regional Director, Africa - I am happy to be part of the organic community, because the best future of humanity cannot be achieved without the organic thinking. In this regard, training of all stakeholders is the key to reach such a future. I find education on organic farming to small scale farmers one important priority to pull them out of the poverty circle. Silvere Tovignan (Regional Director-Africa) Doraliz Aranda (Business Development Manager) Doraliz Aranda, Business Development Manager. Based in the UK - I m a business professional, but my passion is to raise awareness and to help move people toward more sustainable practices in the textile industry. I want to match farmers needs with brands and to bring them together to improve their work. That would be my reward. Jose Santisteban, our new Research Manager, is based in Peru. Jose helps the team find better ways to manage information, translates our reports into Spanish, and supports the team s research needs.

3 Integrity Stakeholder Meeting Concerns about the integrity of organic cotton have been growing steadily. In late 2008, leading stakeholders ICCO, Solidaridad and Organic Exchange responded to these concerns by forming a Consortium to review the issues and agree recommendations for improvement. IFoam has recently joined the Consortium. As part of the work, a study was commissioned, and India was chosen as the area for the study given her leading role in organic cotton production and processing, and because of the integrity issues that were raised in India in the recent past. Findings of the study were shared with key stakeholders at Biofach January As part of the follow up action plan a meeting was held on the 3rd of May 2010 at Indore, India titled Integrity in the Indian organic cotton value chain: a summary of issues and gaps for potential action. The goal of the meeting was to share the findings of the Report and involve the stakeholders in identifying critical issues, brainstorming and for them to come up with solutions both short term and long term. Marieke Weerdesteijn of Solidaridad, Ajay Rastogi an independent consultant, Heidi McCloskey and Prabha Nagarajan of Organic Exchange steered the day long sessions. The participants included third party certification bodies, both organic and fair trade, farm groups, representatives of mills and gins. The sessions were noteworthy for the openness and transparent nature of the dialogues and the genuine desire to make systems improvements that would contribute to the integrity of organic cotton. Three stakeholder groups; the farm group, mills and gins and certification bodies identified issues which ranged from the crisis of non GMO seed supply for organic production, lack of a Code of Practice, price issues, certification issues including contamination detection, buffer zones, number of inspections, costs of certification, assured and timely orders from brands, government support, and emerging issues such as the new web based traceability being introduced by APEDA (the regulatory body of the government of India). The proposed action plans which are now being set in motion include the formation of a producer body, formation of a forum of the Certification bodies, a group to address seed issues, dissemination of information on GM contamination and detection, and mobilising the support of the Government of India on critical issues of supply chain traceability and ownership of integrity. The initiatives in India are expected to be highly valuable for all stakeholders with an interest in the Indian value chain as well as being important learnings that would have application in all the areas of organic cotton production worldwide. Regional focus >>> India Celebrating a decade of organic standards May 15th saw APEDA, (Agricultural Produce Export Division Authority) the regulatory and promotional body of the Ministry of Commerce celebrate 10 years of NPOP, the National Promotion of Organic Produce Standards. The event was a day long affair, with seminars, a Buyer-Seller Meet, and related events, held at the Taj Palace, one of New Delhi s finest hotels. The highlight of the evening events was a fashion show of Organic Textiles which was organised by Organic Exchange for APEDA. Three groups, Pratibha Syntex, Chetna Organic and Appachi Cotton showcased their clothing in a 45 minute show, with 12 Female and 6 male models, in 9 sequences. The groups contributed about 4300 USD and the show was directed by a leading choreographer of Delhi, Anup Banerjea. APEDA organised the press coverage, invitations and cocktails to this stylish event. India s capability of producing a range of high-quality cotton on her organic cotton farms and the design capabilities of our mills and hand spinners was displayed with flair and panache. The range of garments included trousers, shirts, knitwear and stunning saris, all in fine organic! Stakeholders meeting, Indore

4 Regional focus >>> Latin America Prospects for organic cotton growing in Columbia Colombia is a country with a long history of cotton production and is an important textile industry. In April, an exploratory trip was made in order to evaluate the potential for producing organic cotton and boosting an alternative textile industry. As has happened in many countries in the region, there is a reduction in area under cotton and approximately 80% is transgenic (genetically modified). However, there is a good supply of biological inputs making organic a feasible option. Conalgodon is the organization representing cotton farmers in Columbia. Conalgodon has the capabilities to support a pilot of organic cotton. Some companies are already producing organic cotton products, for example Fatelares, which is imported exclusively for La Siesta hammocks in Germany. The role of the textile union (ANDI) will also be important in determining the future of implementing an organic initiative. Alfonso Lizárraga (Organic Exchange), Mario Rodríguez y Luz Amparo Fonseca (CONALGODON) y Alexander Grisar (La Siesta) Members of the Agroecology Consortium Progress for agro-ecology in Peru The Agro-ecology Consortium arises from the Peruvian agro-ecological movement, which has been developing over the past 12 years. Agroecology means using a whole-systems approach to agriculture and food systems development based on traditional knowledge, alternative agriculture, and local food system experiences. Peru has a bill to promote organic production and is in the process of regulating. The Consortium has proposed agro-ecological advocacy actions for the next two years; in order to have a regulation that meets the specification and the needs of organic agriculture in Peru. This plan is being developed with the participation of various members of the Consortium: the National Association of Ecological Producers (ANPE), the Peruvian Association of Consumers (ASPEC), Rural Coordinator, the Ecological Group, the NGO IDMA; national networks as well, Action Network and Alternative Agriculture (RAAA), Organic Agriculture Network (RAE) and the Agrarian National University - La Molina (UNALM) and the participation of various organizations such as Organic Exchange, supported by ICCO and CERTUM. Event Highlight >>> On 11 th June Alfonso Lizárraga, Regional Director of Organic Exchange, gave a lecture on organic cotton to students of organic agriculture at the National Agrarian University - La Molina (UNALM). The course is run by professor Dr. Roberto Ugás. Students showed much interest and discussion afterwards ranged from the certification process to the management of organic farms, to textile processing. Alfonso enjoys the opportunity to bring organic cotton alive to students in the class room as well as supporting farmers in field.

5 The federation of the organic farmers of Koussanar: a farmers enterprise Regional focus >>> Africa The organic farming project of Koussanar (Eastern part of Senegal) has been one of the pioneers in West Africa. ENDA PRONAT (partner NGO) and PAN UK supported the extension and ICS systems that have allowed the farmers to achieve the first organic certification in the mid-1990 s. When the joint project ended, ENDA had no option but to reduce the support they were giving to farmers in the field. This seemingly unfortunate situation actually brought farmers closer together and they increasingly began to build their own initiatives. For example, the most experienced and skilled have accepted to play the role of lead farmer on a voluntary basis. Eventually, the farmers made the organizational basis even stronger by creating the federation of organic farmers of NIANI WULLI called YAKAAR NIANI WULLI, involving more than 2000 members. Being an organization implies some costs for the effective functioning and good services to its members. In addition, the organic cotton market is more restricted now and the federation has decided to go for Fairtrade certification in addition to the organic one. In fact, this is typical of most organic cotton projects in West Africa. This status has increased premiums and market opportunities. One of the most recent initiatives that make YAKAAR NIANI WULLI a real organic farmers enterprise is the crop diversification and further processing of crops for the local market. The Federation can actually supply the following products with organic and fair trade certification: cotton fibre, cotton yarn, processed fonio, sesame, millet and hibiscus (known locally as bissap). The women of the group are also finding additional job opportunities in the fonio processing plant. Processed fonio displayed in YNW local shop A woman member of YNW processing fonio YAKAAR NIANI WULLI has a very good benefit sharing strategy and the regional governmental authority based in Koussanar claims: There is no doubt that YAKAAR NIANI WULLI gives value to our community. Q&A >>> Hand spun organic cotton yarn displayed in YNW local shop If there is anything you would like to know about organic cotton farming please ask us and we will print your question and our answer in next month s edition. Send your query to liesl@organicexchange.org Please state if you would like a particular member of the team to respond. Thank you we look forward to hearing from you! A member spinning organic cotton yarn by hand

6 starting next month... Discussion and debates Tips for better organic farming Our views on emerging issues Compare notes with a fellow farmer A closer look at the market A day in the life of a retailer Your questions answered Connecting farmers across the globe You may have come across the Farmer Visibility Map on our website designed to make your producer group more visible to buyers of organic cotton. The current website is undergoing an exciting refurbishment and we hope to bring you the updated version within the next few months. We will be contacting you soon for an updated profile of who you are and what you do and an inspiring photo if we don t have these already. Our annual Farm and Fibre Report is the authoritative resource on organic fibre production. The Report also works as an awareness raiser and we take this opportunity to write about organic cotton farming issues and priorities. As you probably know, the way we collect information for the report is through a farm survey. We highly value the opportunity to get together with you that this data collection exercise provides - and finding out how you are doing. This year we will be in touch with you over the months of July-September and will visit as many farmers as we can. We are very grateful for your time and will do our best to make this task as burden-free as possible. Contact Details Doraliz Aranda, Business Development Manager Doraliz@organicexchange.org Alfonso Lizarraga, Regional Director, Latin America Alfonso@organicexchange.org Prabha Nagarajan, Regional Director, India Prabha@organicexchange.org Jose Santisteban, Research Manager Jose@organicexchange.org Silvere Tovignan, Regional Director, Africa Silvere@organicexchange.org Liesl Truscott, Farm Engagement Director Liesl@organicexchange.org Please Liesl with your... General enquiries Suggestions for this bulletin Questions for the team to answer Please visit our website: Final say from our CEO... The economic development potential of organic cotton agriculture is great. In large, because it is a straightforward, accepted model for introducing farmers to solid/fundamental best practices in cotton farming. This is an incredibly attractive proposition for governments, funders, and other stakeholders who want to help the population develop skills and abilities that apply to today's marketplace (local, regional, and international). Organic farming is a method which promotes viable skills and a market-based method for helping people in poverty move away from poverty. David Bennell CEO Organic Exchange Organic Exchange takes a global approach to developing markets. Our work focuses on building demand and supply simultaneously. We focus on the entire value chain, from seed procurement through to retail. We provide models and tools for collaborative planning, problem solving, product development, and point of purchase materials. Through the work of Organic Exchange, and as a direct result of funding from our key partner ICCO, we now positively affect the lives of over 220,000 organic cotton farmers worldwide.