"Organic or sustainable cotton helps farmers in China to fetch bigger margins. There are several market opportunities in sustainable and organic cotton," Alison Ward, CEO of CottonConnect, an organisation serving retailers and brands and farmers through the creation of sustainable cotton supply chains, told fibre2fashion.com.

A fall in cotton prices internationally is making cotton farming less attractive to Chinese cotton farmers, and they are shifting to the cultivation of other cash crops, depending on the region.

According to a finding by the International Cotton Advisory Committee (ICAC), cotton plantings are likely to decrease by six per cent in China by 2015-16, and reach 31.6 million hectares.

CottonConnect in its report states that the consumer interest in sustainable products like organic cotton is growing in China. Xinjiang offers a conducive climate to the growth of organic cotton, according to the report.

Additionally, CottonConnect, currently working with more than 20 international brands, also calls for an intervention from brands in order to solve the problem of declining cotton production in China.

"This can be done through brands supporting sustainable farming practices, farmer finance and literacy and encouraging rural entrepreneurship in cotton communities," says Ward.

Click here to read the complete interview

Fibre2Fashion News Desk