Organic Exchange
The Organic Exchange is a non-profit business organization focused on creating environmental and social benefits through the expansion of organic agriculture.
Our first project focuses on transitioning 10% of the world’s demand for and supply of cotton to organic cotton within 10 years.
We are starting with cotton, because it is one of the world’s most important agricultural crops. Cotton fiber serves as a primary input for apparel, home furnishings and personal care products. In addition, cotton seed is a primary ingredient in animal feed for dairy cows, beef cattle and poultry. Cotton seed oil is a widely used ingredient in processed foods.
Most of the world’s cotton, however, is grown using significant quantities of pesticides and synthetic fertilizers. These inputs, along with many conventional agricultural practices, contribute to soil depletion and environmental degradation. Many of the environmental and social impacts associated with cotton production can be reduced or eliminated through the use of organic cotton cultivation practices.
The Organic Exchange brings together brands and retailers with their business partners and key stakeholders to learn more about the social and environmental benefits of organic agriculture, and to develop new business models and tools that support greater use of organic inputs such as organic cotton. We also work to help increase consumer awareness of the organic cotton products.
Current sponsors of the Organic Exchange include: American Apparel, Apparel Source, Arasy Organica, Argo Pantes, Ausmoz Organic Cotton Limitada, Avanti, BioRe Platform, Blue Canoe, Cone Denim, Consoltex, Cotton Plus, Cottonfield, CTM Altromercato, Cutter & Buck, Dibb International, DZ Ltd., Earth Creations, Ecoganik, Ecoland, Eddie Bauer, Egedeniz Textiles, Esquel Group, Faborg, Fetchen, Fountain Set, Four Leaf Textiles, GAIAM, Green Textiles, Greensource, Hanna Andersson, Happy Home/Spiritex, Hermann Bühler AG, H&M, Helvetas, Hong Kong Textiles, Horny Toad, HS Industries, Institute for Environmental Research and Education, Indigenous Designs, Indorama, iZWool, Loomstate, J2L Co.Lltd., JCT Ltd., Kayser Roth, King Deer Textiles Ltd., LINK Ethical Trade Consulting Pvt. Ltd., Marks & Spencer, Maggie’s Organics, McClainMarketing Group, Mountain Equipment Coop., Natural Origins, Nature USA, Nike, Nordstrom, Norm Thompson/Sahalie, Ocak, Of the Earth, Organic Cotton Textiles, Inc., Organic Essentials, Oro Blanco, PAN UK, Parkdale Mills, Patagonia, Paul Reinhart AG, Perfect Knitters Ltd., Peru Naturatex, Pickering International, Prana, Pratibha Syntex Ltd., Production Link, Quick Feat, Raja Uchino Ltd., REI, Remei AG, Sanko Holding A.S., Sage Creek, Sahara Organics, Sew Organic, Siam Knitwear, SKAL, Snowy Peak, Sofi Classic, Sportif, Super Spinning Mills Ltd., Tevis, Texas Organic Cotton Marketing Coop, Thai Alliance Textile Co. Ltd., Thai Textiles Industry PCL, Th!nk, Timberland, Topkapi, T. S. Designs, Under the Canopy, Wellness Innovation Project, Wildlife Works and Woftam.
