Organic Cotton Growing & Production

On 11-12 June, The ComMark Trust brought together over 50 Southern African and global leaders in the fields of monitoring & evaluation; international development; and specialists from labour-itensive manufacturing, tourism, agribusiness, policy-making and other sectors. read more...

South Africa’s second commercial-scale certified organic cotton crop has just been harvested at three commercial farmer field trial sites in Limpopo and one in the Marble Hall area in Mpumalanga. Eleven small-scale farmers in the Nonakeng area also participated in the field trials this year. This second harvest of organically grown cotton in South Africa puts us a step closer to our goal. read more...

Since introducing South Africa’s first clothing made from 100% organic cotton in 2004, Woolworths has been spearheading initiatives to establish a local pipeline for organic cotton. Their efforts have now borne fruit, as this summer sees the planting of South Africa’s first commercial scale trial crop of organic cotton.

Since introducing South Africa’s first clothing made from 100% organic cotton in 2004, Woolworths has spearheaded initiatives to establish a local pipeline for organic cotton. These efforts have now borne fruit, as South Africa’s very first commercial-scale organic cotton crop is now being harvested in Limpopo.  Soon it will be spun, dyed, knitted or woven into cloth and will make its way to Woolworths in items ranging from t-shirts to towels.

The first organic cotton planted on a commercial scale was harvested on 29 May at the Hanneline farm in Limpopo. Woolworths, in cooperation with ComMark, Cotton SA, the Organic Exchange and the Agricultural Research Council (ARC's) Institute for Industrial Crops, had established this project in 2004 to produce clothing made from 100% organic cotton.