Pakistan takes steps for organic cotton certification

Organic cotton cultivated in Pakistan, primarily in Balochistan, will be certified by global agencies from next year, it was announced in a recent meeting in Karachi organised by the World Wildlife Fund-Pakistan (WWF-P) and the Karachi Cotton Association (KCA). WWF-P will supervise the procedure with a certified verifying body inspecting the crop’s quality.

The meeting discussed efforts under way to produce certified organic cotton in the country, including issues related to seed, production, demand and developing supply chain and linkages between growers and the textile industry, according to a report in a top Pakistani newspaper.

Organic cotton is grown without chemical fertilisers or pesticides. The seeds are not genetically modified and are kept clean from chemical impurities.

WWF-P and Control Union Sri Lanka audited and inspected 500 cotton growers in Lasbela district in 2015, and a three-year organic cotton project was launched in 2016 in Lasbela, Sibi and Barkhan districts.

This type of cotton is gaining popularity among health-conscious consumers and leading brands.

Pakistan initially expects to produce around 50,000 bales of organic cotton and at present imports around 400,000 bales of organic cotton, mostly from India.