Fair Trade Cotton: Weaving a Thread of Hope

The Challenges Faced by Indian Cotton Farmers and a Step Towards a Sustainable Future

This report examines the severe, multifaceted challenges faced by cotton farmers in India, the context behind products made with internationally Fairtrade-certified cotton, and the concrete improvements brought about by Fairtrade certification. It integrates a sense of empathy, framing the issue as one of “everyday choices.”

In India’s cotton-producing regions, a complex set of problems has become acute: dependence on genetically modified (GM) seeds, the “debt trap” caused by the high cost of pesticides and fertilizers, and the resulting tragedies of farmer suicides and child labor. However, International Fairtrade Certification provides economic stability to producers through guaranteed minimum prices and the provision of a premium. This, in turn, facilitates the transition to organic farming, improves health conditions, and enables the development of community infrastructure (such as schools and storage facilities). Using the Fairtrade-certified tote bag launched by Kamakura Ethical Lab as a case study, this report discusses the importance of ethical consumption, where the choices of individual consumers fundamentally change the lives of producers on the other side of the world. Special Feature Fair Trade Cotton: Weaving a Thread of Hope

The Challenges Faced by Indian Cotton Farmers and a Step Towards a Sustainable Future

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