Organic Cotton : Niche-Market Or Paradigm Shift ?

摘要

Cotton, grown on 5% of cultivated area in India, accounts for 55% of the pesticide consumption. This has not only led to unprecedented ecological hazards, but also made cotton a highly risky and high-stake gamble for the farmer.The fatal attraction ofpossible high returns and financial inducements like easy credit and subsidised farm inputs has lured many cultivators towards cotton. But recent history is replete with tales of devastation by pests and crop-failure leading to indebtedness and impoverishment, sometimes ending in suicides and starvation-deaths. Given this context, this paper argues that the current demand for organic cotton, although small in relation to the total market demand, should not be seen as merely another niche market. The opportunity presented by this new market phenomenon should be used as a starting point to engender a paradigm shift in patterns of cultivation, distribution and processing of cotton. Various actions required to be taken for this purpose are discussed in the paper. It is envisaged that the promotion of organic cotton, which begins from the effort to meet the market demand for it, should eventually lead to a situation where it displaces all other cotton from the market.