Fairtrade Cotton

Garments made from Fairtrade Certified cotton became available in Australia and New Zealand mid 2006, following the adoption of Fairtrade standards for cotton in 2004 and the growth of Fairtrade cotton markets in Europe.

Garments made from Fairtrade Certified cotton carry a slight variation of the standard FAIRTRADE Label - it has a 'Certified Cotton' tag as well.

Fairtrade Certified cotton addresses the development needs of small holder cotton farmers in developing countries who are facing poverty, in part because of subsidies provided by some Western nations to their cotton growers that distort global markets. Fairtrade certification ensures that these farmers receive a fair price for their cotton and a Fairtrade premium for them to invest in social, environmental and economic development of their communities. In order to qualify for Fairtrade certification, the producers must demonstrate they meet the minimum Fairtrade standards on various social and environmental measures.

You can read the Fairtrade Standards for cotton here:

• Generic Standards for Small Farmers' Organisations
• Small Farmer's Organisations Standard for Seed Cotton
• More on standards

Also read this overview of Fairtrade Certified cotton (600kb, pdf).

Companies selling clothes made with Fairtrade Certified cotton are also required to register all steps in the supply chain and provide evidence that labour standards have been adhered to in the factories where the clothes are made. However, at this stage we cannot guarantee that all garments made with Fairtrade Certified cotton are ‘sweat free’ and made under conditions that empower workers. Additionally, the economic benefits of Fairtrade - the price and premium - are only being paid to the cotton producers.

The Fairtrade Labelling Organisation is holding discussions with unions, NGOs and other stakeholders with the goal of developing mechanisms which can better audit and guarantee sweat free garment supply chains.

If you would like to more information about Fairtrade certification of cotton, and its relationship to the garment supply chain, please contact Cameron Neil via audit@fairtrade.com.au.

• Hear this BBC documentary on the costs of cotton
• Read this article on Uzbek cotton and child slavery, as companies seek to act to clean up their supply chains
• See this very interesting article exploring fair trade and its place in the struggle for ethical garments
• Have a look at the Transfair USA feasibility study in to a Fairtrade garment standard and certification.
• See this article by the Financial Times (UK) on cotton.
• See this report and press release from the UK based War on Want organisation, Fashion Victims.
• Watch this YouTube clip called 'White Gold', exploring the true cost of farming cotton in Uzbekistan.
• Find more information on Fairtrade Cotton on the FLO website here.

You can search our 'Where To Buy' database to find suppliers of Fairtrade certified cotton garments in Australia and New Zealand.