Sustainable Fashion: A Handbook for Educators

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sustaInaBlE FashIon : a handBooK For Educators

Answer P 2

100 million rural households around the world are involved in

cotton production (2001).

It is grown in over 100 countries, representing approximately 50

million farmers globally.

Sources: http://www.fairtrade.org.uk/includes/documents/cm_

docs/2008/t/the_case_for_fairtrade_certified_cotton.pdf,

http://www.organicexchange.org/Farm/cotton_facts_intro.htm

Answer P 1

The boll weevil, which is a small, greyish-brown snout beetle. It

feeds on the bolls (unopened seed pods) of the cotton plant

and on cotton buds. It caused so much damage in cotton raising

states of the USA that farmers had to diversify their crops.

The boll weevil is combated by dusting fields from the air with

insecticides.

Sources: http://textiles.indianetzone.com/1/cotton.htm,

http://animals.howstuffworks.com/insects/boll-weevil-info.htm

Answer P 4

The world’s biggest producers of cotton (2007) were:

• China: 28% of global share.


• India: 19.8% of global share.


• USA: 14.9% of global share.

Source: http://www.pbs.org/wnet/wideangle/episodes/the-

dying-fields/global-cotton-industry/cotton-production-and-

consumption-worldwide/1946/

Answer P 3

Cotton exports, on average, generate between 4 and 7% of the

GDP in these countries, while for the USA it only accounts for

0.0004 %.

Source: http://www.fairtrade.org.uk/includes/documents/cm_

docs/2008/t/the_case_for_fairtrade_certified_cotton.pdf

Answer P 6

Cotton Exporters 2007

Note that four major producers - China, India, Pakistan and

Turkey - do not export cotton and occasionally import to

supply their textile industries.

Source: http://www.pbs.org/wnet/wideangle/episodes/the-

dying-fields/global-cotton-industry/cotton-production-and-

consumption-worldwide/1946/

Answer P 5

These farmers account for 75% of world cotton production.

Source: EJF (2007) The Deadly Chemicals in Cotton, London:

Environmental Justice Foundation in collaboration with Pesticide

Action Network

Cotton Exporters 2007 Global share

USA 41.2%

Uzbekistan 11.6 %

India 8.9%

Brazil 7.1%

Australia 2.9 %

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