news watch: genetically modified cotton was sold as organic cotton

Yesterday I went to the Key a trade fair for organic fashion & sustainable lifestyle which took place for the second time. I had a lunch appointment with Dr. Kirsten Brodde, an expert on environmental issues with 8 years of experience as editor of Greenpeace magazine. Unfortunately our plans were crossed by an article in the Financial Times Germany about an organic cotton scam in India which was published the same day and kept Kirsten glued to her mobile phone. Several Indian farmers sold organic cotton which had been contaminated with GM cotton to companies like H&M and C&A.

The certifiers Ecocert (France) and Control Union (Netherlands) did not object to the sale of the contaminated cotton - whether knowingly or unaware does not seem to be entirely clear; Control Union was subsequently banned for a year from certifying in India. While some people will now probably think "I knew that this whole organic crap is a big rip-off" I would like to remind you that the big advantage of organic farming is that it uses a lot less and sometimes not any pesticides than conventional farming. Conventional farming of cotton really poisons the earth and those working at it: "The World Health Organisation and the UN Environment Programme estimate that each year, 3 million workers in agriculture in the developing world experience severe poisoning from pesticides, about 18,000 of whom die. According to one study, as many as 25 million workers in developing countries may suffer mild pesticide poisoning yearly." (source: wikipedia)

Links (in German):
Financial Times Germany I
Financial Times Germany II
Kirsten Brodde's response to the FT article
Korrekte Klamotten (a group blog written by German fair trade fashion labels): I, II, III, IV
Der Spiegel
Die Süddeutsche Zeitung
Hamburger Abendblatt
Textilwirtschaft

Großes Medienecho auf Artikel in der Financial Times Deutschland über Biobaumwollskandal in Indien. Betroffen sind u.a. Produkte der Firmen H&M und C&A aus angeblicher Biobaumwolle. Achtung: der "Skandal" besteht darin, dass diese Baumwolle mit gentechnisch modifizierter Baumwolle verunreinigt wurde und danach von unabhängigen Instituten als Biobaumwolle zertifiziert wurde. Daß dies Betrug ist und geahndet werden muss ist klar, aber: "Die Biobranche ist mit der Biobaumwolle in erster Linie angetreten, dem massiven Einsatz von Spritzmitteln auf Baumwolläckern ein Ende zu bereiten. Auf knapp vier Prozent der weltweiten Ackerfläche werden rund ein Viertel der weltweit eingesetzten Pestizide gespritzt - das ist der eigentliche Skandal. Diese massive Gifteinsatz ruiniert die Gesundheit derer, die sie spritzen. Biobaumwolle schont dagegen Mensch und Umwelt." (Quelle: www.kirstenbrodde.de)