Fiber Production Report for Latin America 2010-11

Prepared by Alfonso Lizárraga

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PHOTO: Happy farmer (Brazil Coop, Brazil) PHOTO: Top-Down: Veja (Brazil), Aratex Organica (Paraguay), Ecotton (Peru)

Latin America - At a glanceCountries: Brazil, Nicaragua, Paraguay, Peru

General Staple Classifications: Short, Medium, Long, Extra Long & Colored

No. of Producer Groups: 22

No. of Farmers: 1,552

No. of Women Farmers: 365

Organic Cotton Production Area: 1,908 ha

Seed Cotton Production: 2,307 mt

Fiber (lint) Production: 901 mt

Bales of Cotton Lint: 4,136

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First and foremost we would like to thank the organic cotton farmers for inviting us into their world, generously sharing information, and helping us better understand the challenges and opportunities of organic cotton agriculture. We would also like to thank everyone else in the organic cotton value chain that has generously shared information and perspectives – both professional and personal - with us. Their insight has been invaluable in shaping this report.

This year’s Farm & Fiber Report would not have been possible without the help of Textile Exchange members and friends or the generous contribution and support of our partner and funder ICCO (the Dutch interchurch organization for development cooperation).

Specifically, we would like to thank:

Violette Combe, Lindemberg de Figuereido, Maysa Gadelha, Pedro Jorge Lima, Raúl Machín, Oscar Mallqui, Romain Michel, Javier Otoya, Harold Picchi, Alejandro Pozzi, Orlando Rivera, Valdenira Rodrigues, Olga Segovia, Hesteólivia Shyrlley, and many others.

Acknowledgements

About Textile ExchangeTextile Exchange is a non-profit, membership based organization incorporated in 2003. It operates internationally and is committed to the responsible expansion of textile sustainability across the global textile value chain, with a special focus on organic cotton.

What we do• Convene, inform and build capacity in our membership base and across the industry

• Advocate product and industry integrity

• Help bring positive innovations to scale

• Improve organic farmers’ visibility, access to stable markets, and business capabilities through education

• Create partnerships that accelerate sustainable practices across the global textile industry

We work in collaboration with our member companies and farmer groups, civil society, and other textile stakeholders to improve the environmental, social, and economic impact of global textile production, particularly cotton. We work along the entire textile value chain, from farms/producers and chemical input suppliers, through manufacturing, to retail. Textile Exchange is headquartered in the USA with staff and contractors located in eight countries.

Textile Exchange Europe is our new UK-registered charity, formed in February 2012. Its objective is to help small-scale farmers living in poverty in the cotton-growing regions of the world. It does this by improving farming practices and building the market demand for the organic cotton they grow.

TE’s Farm Engagement Team

Who we areThe Farm Engagement Team helps organic cotton producers gain access to sustainable textile and apparel markets and links them to Textile Exchange’s global network of brands, retailers and manufacturers seeking organic cotton.

The broad skills mix of the Textile Exchange Farm Engagement Program allows us both to think and to do - to be an active promoter as well as an institute of learning and knowledge exchange.

How does farm engagement work?

The Farm Engagement team work as facilitators, as a learning institution, and as a network and convener to support the growth and dissemination of knowledge and the creation of platforms to support organic cotton production. The Farm Engagement Programme is the farmer’s voice and advocate within Textile Exchange and the organic cotton market.

We focus on:

• Research and analysis

• Education and training

• Network building

• Promoting best practice

• Farmer and brand visibility

• Development of tools to support all organic cotton stakeholders

• Monitoring and assessing farm level impacts

• Communicating the proven benefits of organic cotton agriculture

PHOTO: TE Regional Directors in action (top to bottom) - Silevere talking with farmers and buyers in Africa, Alfonso carrying out pest checks ; Prabha with farmer during field visit

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IntroductionCotton production in Latin America in 2011 endured the effect of the international economic crisis and changes in the price of fiber. It has also been a period for the countries to define their political views on GMOs, which have been diverse. Argentina, Brazil and Colombia have a clear orientation towards production of GMO cotton seeds; and in Paraguay, there is trend towards the introduction of GMO cotton seeds; whereas in Nicaragua and Peru (pending a law to be passed by the current president), it is illegal to plant genetically-modified organisms.

The countries of the region have characteristics that are similar, yet some that make them very unique (see Table 1); consequently, the effect of the current global economic situation varies in the different countries. Peru, Brazil and Nicaragua continue with their organic cotton fiber production programs, whereas Argentina has halted its only program for organic cotton fiber production. Belize will join the group of cotton-producing countries of the region next year.

The production of organic cotton fiber in Latin America has remained roughly similar to that of the 2009-2010 period (Figure 1). However, there are many factors that must be analyzed carefully, given that they will influence the future cotton production campaigns. The changes in the international market, the possible economic crisis in some countries in Europe, the effects of climate change, the policies of protection or support of GMO seeds, the differences in costs of production compared to that of competitor countries in other regions, and the effect of the free trade treaties, among other aspects, may have a certain influence.

Some aspects that are particularly interesting are the gradual funding of the Agroecological Network of the Northeast in Brazil, the new initiative in Belize, and the interest of some large companies that have fiber production programs in the region - mainly in Nicaragua and Peru.

In the development of actions related to the production of organic cotton fiber, various initiatives, countries and organizations interested in its development have been observed. Working systems that involve companies, cooperatives, associations, individual farmers, local, national or international co-op organizations, as well as funding organizations have also been observed. These organizations are of various types, with different objectives, strategies, magnitude and coverage, and include ICCO, Socila, Root Capital, and obviously Textile Exchange, to mention a few. Some productive and commercial chains have a good dynamic in their interactions and relations, whereas others are vertical. That is, there are various relationship styles; however, regardless of their form or work styles, they are expected to be sustainable, with the aim of generating spaces of growth and development that indirectly and directly benefit all the members of the value chain, especially the farmers, who are an essential part of this system.

Characteristics Argentina Belize Brazil Nicaragua Paraguay Peru

Total population (millions) 40.4 0.3 194.9 5.8 6.5 29.1

Population growth (percent per year) 1 3 1 1 2 1

Area (sq. km) (thousands) 2,780.40 22.97 8,514.88 130.37 406.75 1,285.22

Life expectancy (years) 75 76 73 73 72 74

Infant mortality rate (per 1,000 births) 12 14 17 23 21 15

GNP (current in USD) (billions) 353.7 1.3 2,049.2 6.2 19.5 147.3

GNP per capita, Atlas Method (USD) 8.500 3.740 9.390 1.090 2.940 4.780

Total unemployment (percent of work force) 9 8 8 5 6 7

Foreign debt in stocks (percent of the GNP) 40 89 18 76 29 25

Percentage of literacy in adult women (over age 15) 98 N/A 90 78 93 85

Percentage of literacy in adult men (over age 15) 98 N/A 90 78 96 95

CO2 emissions (metric tons per capita) 5 1 2 1 1 1

Table 1: Characteristics (in 2010) of the countries that have organic cotton production programs in Latin AmericaSource: World Bank

• No. farmers group: 20 (inclusive 9 in transtion)• No. farmers: 1,304• No. woman farmers: 117• Organic cotton area: 1,414 ha• Production of organic raw cotton: 2,610 mt• Production of organic fiber cotton: 962 mt

• No. farmers group: 22 (inclusive 7 in transition) • No. farmers: 1,877 • No. woman farmers: 397• Organic cotton area: 1,908 ha• Production of organic raw cotton: 2,307 mt• Production of organic fiber cotton: 901 mt

2010-11

2009-10

Figure1: Comparison of organic cotton fiber production between 2009-10 and 2010-11

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Organic Cotton The production of organic cotton fiber in Latin America is estimated to be approximately 901 tons and 279 mt in transition, which amounts to 1,180 mt of agroecological (organic + conversion) cotton fiber. This production involved the participation of 1,877 farmers (397 of whom were women), working on 22 production in initiatives in four countries (Table 2). However, the area of agroecological (organic + conversion) cotton amounts to 2,440 ha, which only accounts for 0.13% of the total production of cotton1 in Latin America and the Caribbean2.

As can be observed in the previous paragraph, the production of organic cotton in Latin America is very small compared to the production of conventional cotton. This is attributed to various factors:

1. Brazil and Argentina are two countries that are dominant in the production of conventional cotton in the region and are clearly oriented towards the production of genetically-modified cotton.

2. There are crops that are more profitable, which, in some countries, is causing a displacement of the cotton, like what is occurring in Peru.

3. The competitiveness of the production is being decreased in an international context where some countries that are exporters of cotton or of its by products, receive subsidies from their respective governments.

In the context in which the organic cotton projects and initiatives are developed, organizations from the rest of the commercial textile chain play an important role, particularly support organizations for improving the organizational capacities that promote ICCO in Paraguay and Brazil, for example.

Country Farmers Area (ha)

Raw cotton (mt)

Cotton fiber (mt)

Argentinaa 0 0 0 0Belizeb 0 0 0 0Brazilc 708 534 209 120Nicaragua 41 150 109 42Paraguay 800 660 440 150Peru 328 1,096 2,292 868

Total 1,877 2,440 3,050 1,180

Table 2: Production of agroecological cotton in Latin America (2010-2011 campaign)

Argentina The "Otro Mercado del Sur" [Other Market of the South] project was trying to develop organic production in the area of Chaco, however the main obstacle that has prevented them from achieving organic certification status was due to the contamination of the seed with GMOs. Seemingly, state organizations such as the INTA (National Institute of Agricultural Technology), an organization in charge of managing bioengineered seed banks in Argentina, are not interested in supporting organic cotton production initiatives. The importation of organic seed requires a process that is complex and very difficult to achieve due to the importation formalities.

Due to this situation and other factors related to the prices, as well as the weaknesses in the organization of farmers, the production decreased substantially, placing cotton as a crop that is not very attractive for agroecological farmers. Otro Mercado del Sur has a certified transition field that, unfortunately, was not planted with cotton in the 2010-2011 crop year. The continuation of this project depends on the conditions of the market and government support to resolve the problem of the lack of seed. Due to this situation, there aren't any plans to sow either, and therefore, the project has been suspended for the 2011-2012 crop year. However, in 2011, Otro Mercado del Sur imported organic cotton thread from Peru and Paraguay, which it uses to make cloths, and considers continuing to import from Paraguay.

Belize Sol Farms Ltda. is an organic production company specialized in vegetables, which began a project for the production of organic cotton for the 2010-2011 period, and were certified organic in 2009. The planting of 200 ha of various colors of cotton was planned for November 2011, with the intention of harvesting in March 2012.

Notes: a. Field in transition without planting b. Its first crop in 2012 c. System of production in association with crops.

PHOTO: cotton associated with maize (Otro Mercado del Sur)

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The total production of raw cotton was 209 mt and 120 mt of cotton fiber (Table 3). The harvest periods are variable according to the rainfall (Table 4). The cotton is medium fiber and the majority of it is white. There are three programs with colored cotton (brown, cream and/or green). Only one of the 14 production initiatives has cotton with certification of fair price (fair trade), this is ADEC. The programs receive support from rural development NGOs (Esplar, Celta, Diaconia, AsPTA, Arribaça, Polo Sindical, Cariri, Patac, COEP Sertao) and from government organizations such as Embrapa and the project PDHC (Projeto Dom Helder Câmara) .

As there is a certain coordination between producers and buyers such as Tudo Bom, Veja, CoopNatural, Justa Trama, Malhas Martins, mainly, the prices are set in advance ($3.78 USD / kg of fiber, including tax). Green cotton is sold for $4.53 USD/kg of fiber, and brown cotton can even be sold for less than $3.024 USD/kg of fiber, including tax in both cases.

Organic Conversion Organic + Conversion

Farmers 509 199 708Women 106 19 125Area (ha) 352 182 535Raw cotton (mt) 129 80 209Crop yield range (kg/ha) 188 – 1,333 144 – 600 200 – 1,333Efficiency of gin (percent) 28.89 – 39.46 32.52 – 38.67 28.89 – 39.46Cotton fiber (mt) 91 29 120

Table 3: Characteristics of organic cotton production in Brazil

BrazilBrazil is one of the world's largest cotton producers, although it still accounts for a small portion of the world's production of organic cotton. However, the most remarkable is the effort made by some northeastern Brazilian organizations that form part of the Agroecological Network of the Northeast, focused on providing support to the agroecological cotton value chain, which is based on the production of organic cotton under the system of agroecological focus and family farming. This system is characterized by a focus on food safety. Cotton is planted in a manner similar to other food crops such as beans, corn, vegetables, etc.

For this reason, the area that it occupies is actually much smaller, given that the other crops occupy the rest of the area mentioned. The Agroecological Network of the Northeast is currently coordinated by the NGO Diaconia, and it includes the participation of 14 co-op production initiatives, farmers' associations, businesses and NGOs from five states (Ceará, Paraiba, Pernambuco, Piaui and Rio Grande do Norte). The organizations or organic cotton production initiatives are: ADEC, APAFI, AACL, APROPIA, COAPRODES, COOPAPI, COPAGRO, CCAAFAIL, AMUABAS, CoopNatural Emater, Aparecida, CoopNaatural Patac, COEP Sertao. Certification of the organic cotton projects is granted by IBD.

Table 4: The periods of harvest are variable.

Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec

Piauía Cearáa

Cearáb

Pernambucoa

Rio Grande do Nortea

Paraibaa

Paraibaa

Paraibab

Paraibaa

Paraibaa

Paraibac

Note: a-white, b-brown, c-green

PHOTO: Brown-colored cotton produced by Embrapa Algodao and planted in the Northeast of Brazil

"Family farming can coexist with the production of agroecological cotton. "

Pedro Jorge Lima

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Organic Conversion Organic + Conversion

Farmers 41 0 41Women 12 0 12Area (ha) 150 0 150Raw cotton (mt) 109 0 109Crop yield range (kg/ha) 720 0 720Efficiency of gin (percent) 39 0 39Cotton fiber (mt) 42 0 42

Table 4: Characteristics of organic cotton production in Nicaragua

Nicaragua COPROEXNIC is a co-op that sells cotton and other organic products. It works in conjunction with the co-op APRENIC, in the city of León. COPROEXNIC has a very interesting vision of value chain. The promotion of this co-op is an initiative of JHC-CDCA3, The certification of the organic cotton projects is granted by Biolatina and Scientific Certification System. In 2011, they started projects for certification with Mayacert. The total production of raw cotton was 109 mt and 42 mt of cotton fiber (Table 5). The harvest takes place in January. The cotton (white) is between medium to large fiber. COPROEXNIC sells the cotton fiber and has a direct relationship with the women's co-op COMANNUVI, which trades as Zona Franca Masili S.A. (with products for export to USA and Europe) and Génesis, which is expected to be able to thread the cotton that they produce. During 2011, Anvil, from the United States, looked favorably on the production of cotton in Central America, and is a potential customer with whom they have already initiated relations.

Cotton is a crop that was practically abandoned due to the resistance of the weevil Anthonomus grandis (Col.: Curculionidae) to pesticides. After a period during which cotton was not even planted, the organic cotton project promoted by COPROEXNIC was launched. In this last crop year, the government has promoted the planting of conventional cotton, which can create the gradual increase of the weevil and thus adversely affect the organic cotton fields in the future, unless adequate steps are taken in order to manage it.

PHOTO: Inspection of organic cotton by APRENIC technicians in Nicaragua (APRENIC, Nicaragua)

Paraguay

There are two initiatives on the production of organic cotton in Paraguay, a country with a cotton tradition: Aratex, certified by IMO, and Prorganica, certified by Ceres. The system in Paraguay has an interesting component of crop rotation, especially with sugar cane and sesame, which are two commercial crops, as well as crops of family consumption such as beans, yucca and corn. In Paraguay, there are a series of alliances among various actors, mainly between organized groups of farmers such as the co-op Ycua Bolaños or the NGO Altervida, in technical training and assistance. The total production of raw cotton was 440 mt and 150 mt of medium to large cotton fiber (Table 6). The harvest takes place between March and June. The price of organic cotton fluctuates between 15-20 percent above the price of conventional cotton. Aratex, is the oldest company in organic production in Paraguay, his clothes are sold in the local market and for export.

Organic Conversion Organic + Conversion

Farmers 800 0 800Women 220 0 220Area (ha) 660 0 660Raw cotton (mt) 440 0 440Crop yield range (kg/ha) 875 – 1,000 0 875 – 1,000Efficiency of gin (percent) 35 – 36 0 35 – 36Cotton fiber (mt) 150 0 150

Table 5: Characteristics of organic cotton production in Paraguay

PHOTO: Field of organic cotton in Paraguay

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Organic Conversion Organic + Conversion

Farmers 202 800 328Women 27 220 40Area (ha) 746 660 1,096Raw cotton (mt) 1,629 440 2,292Crop yield range (kg/ha) 795 - 4,000 875 – 1,000 795 - 4,000Efficiency of gin (percent) 37.74 - 38.46 35 – 36 37.74 -38.46Cotton fiber (mt) 618 150 868

Table 6: Characteristics of organic cotton production in Peru

PHOTO: Organic cotton field of New Expo, valley of Pisco (New Expo, Peru)

Peru

The certified organic projects registered in Peru are Bergman Rivera, Ecotton, New Expo, Oro Blanco and Romero Trading. The system of production is single-crop farming on plots of small farmers. Different varieties are planted: Pima, Del Cerro, Tangüis, coarse and native colored cotton (primarily brown). The organic cotton is planted primarily along the coast (central and north) and jungle (north). Along the coast, the main limitation is water4.

The production in Peru involves 328 farmers, 40 of whom are women, on 1096 ha and a production of 2,291 mt of raw cotton. This yield fluctuates from 795 to 4,000 kg/ha, a percentage of gin efficiency between 37.7 and 38.4, which generates 868 mt of production of fiber (Table 7). The production in the rainy areas (north jungle) is low, and very high in the desert coastal area when watered with an automated watering system, as is the case of New Expo, which produces up to 4,000 kg/ha of pima cotton (Photo 4). The fibers that are produced in Peru range from short to extra large. The harvest on the coast is normally between April and June, and between August and October in the northern jungle. The certification of the production of organic cotton is carried out by Control Union.

There are several initiatives that sell products with organic fibers, one of the oldest in Peru and Latin America is Peru Naturtex, also works with colored cotton and wool. Also, there are various initiatives on small scale, mainly oriented to the local craft market, a few for export. The companies involved in the production of fiber (mainly Bergman Rivera, Oro Blanco and New Expo), textile production also perform at various scales, others to supply local and foreign companies with their intermediate or final products.

Impact of Organic Cotton WaterThe cotton crop consumes a significant amount of water, and in the majority of countries of the region (dry region), rainwater is used for watering the cotton. The Peruvian coast is an area where the cotton is irrigated by a system of furrows, and it requires approximately 7,000 m3 per hectare of cotton, divided into 3,000 m3 for the first irrigation5, 2,000 m3 for the second irrigation and 2,000 m3 for the third irrigation. There is only one case that waters with the automated drip irrigation system (New Expo), which enables saving a substantial amount of water.

MarketSome clothing and designer companies in the United States, Japan and European countries acquire thread, fabrics or pay companies in other countries of the region to make the clothes, such as Anvil, Eileen Fisher, or John Patrick. This represents a good part of the sales of threads and fabrics for export and in some countries, for the services of making clothes. There are also other regional initiatives such as Verde Textil in Argentina, or Tikiba in Mexico, and a few others that create a regional trade of thread, fabrics and/or trade of final products.

Animal Fibersa. VicunaThis animal lives in Peru, Bolivia, Argentina, Chile and Ecuador, in this order of highest to lowest production, and is one of the finest fibers in the world. The fiber is soft and shiny, in addition to being a good thermal insulator. There are some companies that are interested in creating an organic certification process. b. AlpacaIt is mainly produced in Peru, Bolivia and Chile. Alpaca fiber is a very high-quality product because it is flexible, soft to the touch, nearly fire-resistant and hypoallergenic, has a high resistance to traction and absorbs little moisture. Production under automated conditions is 2.3 kg of fiber per animal in the year6. Alpaca fiber can reach a thickness of 38 microns, that of llama up to 34 microns, and that of vicuna can reach a thickness of 12 microns.

"Approximately 4 million Huacayo alpacas and 400,000 suri alpacas live between Bolivia, Chile and Peru; 150,000 vicunas live in Argentina, Bolivia, Chile and Peru; 600,000 guanacos live in Argentina; 2.5 million Chaku and Qara type llamas live in the South."

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c. Merino woolThis type of wool is mainly produced in Argentina. The fiber has been described as offering a greater capacity to keep warm and control moisture, in addition to being hypoallergenic. In 2009, Argentina produced about 61,491 mt. d. Silk wormThe primary producer of silk in South America is Brazil, followed by Colombia. The Corporation for the Development of Sericulture in the Cauca Valley (CORSEDA) is in charge of the production of organic silk in Colombia, and between producers and craftsmen, it consists of 142 partners (producers and / or craftsmen) who are engaged in activities ranging from the cultivation of mulberry, raising silkworms, spinning, dyeing and weaving. CORSEDA currently has an organic certification for 22 farms.

Company Certifying Country Certification

Cia Ind ROMOSA SAC Control Union Peru OE BlendHilandera de Algodón Peruano S.A. Control Union Peru OE 100

Table 8: Companies with OE Blend or OE 100 certification in Latin AmericaSource: Textile Exchange

Company Certifying Type of fiber Country Certification

Aratex IMO Cotton Paraguay GOTSArt Atlas SRL Control Union Cotton Peru GOTSBergman Rivera SAC Control Union Cotton Peru GOTS/USDA-NOP/EUEcotton SAC Control Union Cotton Peru GOTSFranky y Ricky S.A. Control Union Cotton Peru GOTSInca Tops S.A. Control Union Cotton Peru GOTSIndustria Textil Piura S.A. Control Union Cotton Peru GOTS/USDA-NOP/EULa Colonial Fca. De Hilos S.A. Control Union Cotton Peru GOTSOro Blanco S.A. Control Union Cotton Peru GOTS/USDA-NOP/EUChargeurs Wool Argentina S.A. IMO Argentina GOTSFuhrmann S.A. OIA Argentina Brushed wool Argentina GOTSCentral Lanera Uruguaya Carl OIA Argentina Brushed wool Uruguay GOTSLanas Trinidad OIA Argentina Uruguay GOTSEstancia La Bernarda SH OIA Argentina Sheep wool Argentina OIA*La Elisita S.A. OIA Argentina Sheep wool Argentina OIA*14 de Abril SRL OIA Argentina Sheep wool Argentina OIA*Yaskia S.A. OIA Argentina Sheep wool Argentina OIA*Edelin S.A. OIA Argentina Sheep wool Argentina OIA*Chargueurs Wool SA OIA Argentina Grease wool Argentina OIA*Zagis Control Union Knitted fabric Mexico GOTS

Table 9: Companies with organic certification in Latin America

* Argentina Regulation +IFOAM

Textile certif ication in Latin America In Latin America, there are currently 18 companies with organic certification, including farming and textile certification. Two companies have OE certification (Table 8). Eight Peruvian companies, six Argentinian and two Uruguayan companies certified by Control Union, IMO or OIA (includes wool) (Table 9)

PHOTO: Photo of silk product of CORSEDA (CORSEDA, Colombia)

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Textile Exchange’s Recommendations for Latin America

Our recommendations for ongoing success in Latin America include:

• “Diversity” is probably the most significant factor in the identity of Latin America and is evident in “small-scale agriculture” such as the production of organic cotton, with Gossypium barbadense and Gossypium hirsutum and its diverse varieties.

• Diversity is also apparent in the rotation or association system (mainly beans and corn) and in many other plants that are used on a small scale and fulfill a role in the production system of the cotton farmer.

• Diversity is also observed in the variety of production models and value chains, relationships between the actors of the commercial chain, models of organization and marketing, based on multicultural societies and ecosystems rich in biodiversity.

• Diversity has gotten out of hand in recent years with the “processes of adaptation” as a value when facing the changes that we encounter with the organic cotton production system (climate change and fluctuations in the prices of fiber in the international market).

• “Diversity” combined with “adaptation” can create a process of sustainability that would manifest itself in the future through indicators related to transparency and certification.

• The sustainability of organic cotton requires contributions from all of these lines of action, which help to create a system of balance and empowerment for farmers. For example, farmers who sell cotton fiber or that have adequate organization systems.

• Three important and basic elements for creating processes for sustainability can be gleaned from this: 1) create a certain level of organization, 2) stimulate a minimum size of the farm so that the organic project can have an attractive offer and a positive cost-benefit relationship, and 3) have machinery for the ginning. This can result in more added value for the organic cotton initiatives, increasingly more sophisticated businesses, and better relations between farmers and companies in the textile sector.

Latin America Regional Report is available from our website in both English and Spanish.

Footnotes

1. Cotton in general (conventional + organic)2. According to the National Cotton Council of America, the area of cotton in Latin America and the

Caribbean is 2,371,000 ha.3. Jubilee House Community (JHC) / Center for Development in Central America (CDCA) 4. In Lambayeque, the situation for cotton is becoming complicated due to the lack of water, which limits the

development of the production. An association of farmers is currently in negotiations with a European company to begin a new project in 2012.

5. César Saavedra (Ecotton)6. Quispe E., Rodríguez, T., Iñiguez L and Mueller, J. 2009. Production of alpaca, llama, vicuna and guanaco fiber

in South America. Animal Genetic Resources Information, 45:1–14.

The information provided in this report have been gathered from surveys, interviews, visits, and from reviewing various websites and reports. The information about the production of fiber has been provided directly by the companies or production organizations. Please accept our apologies in advance for any omissions that may exist.

Textile Exchange inspires and equips people to accelerate sustainable practices in the textile value chain. We focus on minimizing the harmful impacts and maximizing the positive effects of the global textile industry. Our signature program focuses on organic cotton value chains; improving lives for farmers, stimulating markets, and supporting best practice.

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