The global production of organic cotton surged by 56 percent from 2016/17 to 2017/18, as shown in the Textile Exchange's “2019 Organic Cotton Market Report.” This marks the highest levels seen in eight years. India, China and Kyrgyzstan were the biggest contributors. The production of organic cotton fiber globally reached 180,971 metric tons (MT) in the 2017/2018 harvest year, the highest level seen since 2009/2010, when the financial crisis caused a dramatic decline. Despite the surge, however, organic cotton only constitutes 0.7 percent of total cotton production worldwide. Estimates indicate that growth will continue next year, driven primarily by India, Tanzania, Turkey, Kyrgyzstan, Brazil and others. Cotton is grown organically in 19 countries, although the report reveals that 98 percent of the production actually comes from just seven of these: India (47 percent), China (21 percent), Kyrgyzstan (12 percent), Turkey (6 percent), Tajikistan (5 percent), the U.S. (3 percent) and Tanzania (3 percent).

Topics