2nd RI General Assembly Agenda September 22-24, 2017

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September 22 | Day 1

Time/Location

Agenda

Panelists

9:00AM-9:30AM
Casa Vía Orgánica

REGISTRATION

9:30AM-9:45AM

Plenary Tent

WELCOME

Ronnie Cummins (Organic Consumers Association/RI Steering Committee)      

9:45AM-11:45AM

Plenary Tent

STATE OF THE GLOBAL REGENERATION MOVEMENT: STRENGTHS, WEAKNESSES, AND NEXT STEPS

In this session we’ll hear from nine panelists followed by 30 minutes of discussion and questions.

Panelists: Andre Leu (RI Steering Committee/IFOAM Organics International), Daniela Howell (Savory Institute), Ercilia Sahores (RI Staff), Hans Herren (RI Steering Committee/Biovision Foundation), John Fagan (HRI Labs), Precious Phiri (RI Steering Committee/Earthwisdom Consulting), Ruchi Shroff (Navdanya), Ronnie Cummins (Organic Consumers Association/RI Steering Committee), Tom Newmark (the Carbon Underground).

Moderator: Ercilia Sahores (RI Team)

11:45AM-12:00PM
Casa Vía Orgánica

COFFEE BREAK

12:00PM-1:30PM

Plenary Tent     

INTRODUCTIONS

Each participant will be invited to share a one minute introduction.

Moderator: Mercedes Lopez Martinez (Asociación de Consumidores Orgánicos)

1:30PM-3:00PM

Casa Vía Orgánica

LUNCH          

Enjoy an organic mexican meal prepared onsite by local chefs using fresh local ingredients.

3:00PM – 3:30PM

Plenary Tent

DEFENDING ECOLOGICAL AGRICULTURE IN THE YUCATAN  

Presentation from MA OGM, a collective defending smallholder farmers, communities and the environment in the Yucatan, Mexico.

 

Alicia Poot Tucuch, Gustavo Huchín Cauich, Luis Arturo Carrillo Sánchez (Colectivo Ma OGM)

3:30PM-4:30PM

Plenary Tent

BREAKOUT GROUPS: STATE OF THE GLOBAL REGENERATION MOVEMENT: STRENGTHS, WEAKNESSES, NEXT STEPS

Participants will be divided into six breakout groups to discuss and identify strengths, weaknesses, and next steps for the global regeneration movement. How do we scale up regenerative agriculture? What resources, tools, or advancements could turn your most common weaknesses into strengths? What are the next steps in your region or area of work for advancing the regeneration movement?

Moderators: Andre Leu (RI Steering Committee/IFOAM Organics International) and Ronnie Cummins (Organic Consumers Association/RI Steering Committee)

 

 

4:30PM-5:30PM

Plenary Tent

REPORTS FROM BREAKOUT GROUPS

Hear reports about strengths, weaknesses and next steps from breakout groups.

Moderators: Andre Leu (RI Steering Committee/IFOAM Organics International) and Ronnie Cummins (Organic Consumers Association/RI Steering Committee)

5:30PM-7:00PM

Meet in Plenary Tent

FARM TOUR

Vía Orgánica staff will lead a walking tour of the Farm School and Ranch. Please bring good walking shoes, a hat and a bottle of water.

Rosana Alvarez Martinez (Vía Orgánica) and Azucena Cabrera Oviedo (Vía Orgánica)

6:30PM-7:00PM

Casa Vía Orgánica

REFRESHMENTS

Organic refreshments and cash bar (USD and Mexican pesos accepted) for local organic beer and wine.

7:00PM-8:00PM

Casa Vía Orgánica

DINNER

Enjoy an organic mexican meal prepared onsite by local chefs using fresh local ingredients.

8:30 PM

Casa Vía Orgánica

DRINKS, MUSIC, CAMPFIRE

For those who want to mingle later into the evening we will have a campfire and a few guitars on hand.

September 23 | Day 2

Time/Location

Agenda

Panelists

9:00AM-10:30AM

Plenary Tent

4/1000: A GLOBAL PLAN FOR EDUCATION, COALITION BUILDING, GRASSROOTS LOBBYING, FUNDING, TRAINING, SCALING UP

What is the Global 4/1000 Initiative and what has the 4/1000 Consortium asked RI to do?

(Stage 1) Spread the word, coalition building (reach out and create alliances with food, farm, climate, peace, justice, natural health, etc. movements). Get new NGOs, cities, counties, states, regions, and nations to formally to sign on.

(Stage 2) Identify best practices and trainers. Organize educational meetings and teach-ins in each region and country. Help groups access funding. Develop an Open-Source Regeneration Manual.     

Panelists: Ronnie Cummins (Organic Consumers Association/RI Steering Committee), Andre Leu (IFOAM Organics International/RI Steering Committee), Ercilia Sahores (RI Team), Precious Phiri (RI Steering Committee/Earthwisdom Consulting)

 

Moderator: Alexandra Groome (RI Team/Grow Ahead)

10:30-11:00

Casa Vía Orgánica

COFFEE BREAK

11:00-12:00

Meet in Plenary Tent

REGIONAL BREAKOUT GROUPS: HOW TO IMPLEMENT THE 4/1000 INITIATIVE

Participants will be divided into six groups, by region to discuss strategies and tactics for how to implement the 4/1000 Initiative (both stages).

Moderator: Alexandra Groome (RI Team/Grow Ahead)

 

Breakout Groups

Group 1: USA Midwest and South

Group 2: USA Northwest

Group 3: USA Northeast: Katherine Paul

Group 4: Latin America: Ercilia Sahores

Group 5: México: Mercedes Lopez Martinez

Group 6: International

12:00PM-1:00PM

Plenary Tent

REPORTS FROM BREAKOUT GROUPS       

Moderator: Alexandra Groome (RI Team/Grow Ahead)

 

1:00PM-2:30PM

Casa Vía Orgánica

LUNCH

Enjoy an organic mexican meal prepared onsite by local chefs using fresh local ingredients.

2:30 PM -4:30PM

Meet at Plenary Tent

FARM TOUR: REGENERATIVE PROJECTS

Participants will visit three regenerative projects at Vía Orgánica and hear from the founders. Projects include Granjas Regenerativas (Reginaldo Haslett-Marroquin and Daniel Ajpop), experimental compost area (David and Hui-Chun Su Johnson), and keyline plough (Gerardo Ruiz and Ronnie Cummins).

Organizer: Rachel Kastner (RI Team)

 

5:00 PM

Casa Vía Orgánica

BUSES LEAVE FOR DINNER IN SAN MIGUEL DE ALLENDE

We will be traveling to San Miguel de Allende Centro for the evening so bring a light jacket, money and your camera!

5:30 PM

Vía Orgánica Restaurant

DINNER AT VIA ORGANICA MERCADO RURAL IN SAN MIGUEL DE ALLENDE

At Vía Orgánica Store and Restaurant local chefs will set up an outdoor food market just for us. Meal tickets will be provided and there will be a cash bar. After eating dinner we will take a short walk to   San Miguel’s city centro to enjoy the town square, mariachi bands and desserts at Hotel Mansion Virreyes.

8:30PM

FREE TIME IN SAN MIGUEL DE ALLENDE

 

10:30 PM

Vía Orgánica Restaurant

SHUTTLES DEPART FOR RANCH FROM VIA ORGANICA RESTAURANT

September 24 |  Day 3

Time/Location

Agenda

Panelists

9:00AM-11:00AM

Plenary Tent

PANEL: REGENERATIVE STANDARDS AND CERTIFICATION

Strengths and Weaknesses of Practices, Standards, Testing, and Certification that already exist that may be categorized as potentially regenerative or “Transition to Regenerative” (organic, biodynamic, 100% grassfed, pastured, PGS or Community Controlled Certifications).   

Panelists: Andre Leu (IFOAM Organics International and RI Steering Committee), Carrie Balkcom (American Grassfed Association), Chris Kerston (Savory Institute), Elizabeth Candelario (Demeter), Reginaldo Haslett-Marroquin (Mainstreet Project), Tim LaSalle (Chico State University).

 

Moderator: Ronnie Cummins (Organic Consumers Association/RI Steering Committee)

11:00AM-11:30AM

Casa Vía Orgánica

COFFEE BREAK

11:30AM-1:30PM

Plenary Tent

REGENERATION GAME-CHANGERS

Hear from participants about game-changers for the regenerative agriculture movement, including: compost reactor and compost extracts; regenerative poultry and grain production; national and global marketplace campaigning; regenerating entire regions; large-scale landscape restoration; Care What You Wear.

 

 

Panelists: Compost Reactor and Compost Extracts (David Johnson and   Hui-Chun Su Johnson), Regenerative Poultry and Grain Production (Reginaldo Haslett- Marroquin); National and Global Marketplace Campaigning (Ronnie Cummins and Will Allen); Regenerating Entire Regions (Andre Leu and Ruchi Shroff); Care What Your Wear (Marci Zaroff and Rachel Kastner)

 

Moderator: Ercilia Sahores (RI Team)

1:30PM-3:00PM

Casa Vía Orgánica

LUNCH

Enjoy an organic mexican meal prepared onsite by local chefs using fresh local ingredients.

3:00PM-4:00PM

Plenary Tent

WHERE DO WE GO FROM HERE?

Panelists: RI Steering Committee           

4:00PM-5:30PM

Meet in Plenary Tent

BREAKOUT GROUPS

 

 

Format: Participants will be divided into breakout groups on key themes including:

Group 1: Communications and Social Media (Katherine Paul and Julie Wilson)

Group 2: Mapping and Documenting Best Practices and Practitioners though The Regeneration Hub and other platforms (Alexandra Groome)

Group 3: Farmer to Farmer (Precious Phiri/Andre Leu)

Group 4: Regeneration Campaigner Meetings (Ronnie Cummins)

Group 5: Developing Online Educational and Training Tools (Rachel Kastner)

 

Moderator: Rachel Kastner (RI Team)

5:30PM-6:30PM

Plenary Tent

REPORTS FROM BREAKOUT GROUPS

Moderator: Rachel Kastner (RI Team)

6:15PM – 6:30PM

CONCLUDING REMARKS

Ronnie Cummins (Organic Consumers Association/RI Steering Committee)      

6:30PM-7:00PM

Casa Vía Orgánica

REFRESHMENTS

Organic horderves and cash bar (USD and Mexican pesos accepted) for local organic beer and wine.

7:00PM-8:00PM

Casa Vía Orgánica

DINNER

Enjoy an organic mexican meal prepared onsite by local chefs using fresh local ingredients.

8:30PM

Casa Vía Orgánica

FIRST SHUTTLE DEPARTS FOR SAN MIGUEL DE ALLENDE

8:30PM

Casa Vía Orgánica

DRINKS, MUSIC, CAMPFIRE

Enjoy a relaxing evening around the campfire as we close the general assembly.          

10:30PM

Casa Vía Orgánica

SECOND SHUTTLE DEPARTS FOR SAN MIGUEL DE ALLENDE

 

 

A Soil-to-Soil Vision for the Fashion Revolution

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Author: Fair World Project | Published: September 2017

[pdf-embedder url=”https://regenerationinternational.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/09/a-soil-to-soil-vision-for-the-fashion-revolution.pdf”]
 
DOWNLOAD THE PDF

Top Soil: A Catalyst for Better Health and Nutrition

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Author: Tobias Roberts | Published: August 23, 2017

WHERE WE STAND WITHOUT SOIL

Everything begins and ends with the soil. Unfortunately, close to 70% of it has been lost since the dawn of the agricultural revolution. Since the onset of the Green Revolution only half a decade ago, we´re getting rid of it faster than ever. Besides the ecocide that the loss of topsoil entails, it also is a major threat to our health. Most foods grown by industrial agricultural methods on depleted soil are nothing more than empty food carcasses filled with chemically supplied nitrogen, potassium, and phosphorus.

Without healthy soil that includes dozens of other micronutrients as a result of the functioning soil food web, we´re simply not getting the nutrition we need, no matter how cosmetic our food supposedly looks.

THE LOSS OF OUR PLANET´S FERTILITY

It can be easy to be tricked into believing that we live in a world of abundance. Seeing the sheer magnitude of the corn harvest in Iowa, to name just one example, can make us feel like our food security is well provided for by combines, GPS-controlled tractors, and the thousands of other technologies of industrial agriculture. But below that seemingly abundant harvest, a serious problem is emerging. The Great Plains of the United States have been considered one of the most fertile areas of our earth. In some places, top soil reaches over 15 feet into the earth. But that apparently endless fertility has all but disappeared in recent years.

In 2014 alone, Iowa lost over 15 million tons of topsoil, mostly due to unsustainable industrial agricultural practices. That soil, along with the millions of pounds of chemical fertilizers and pesticides eventually make their way down the Mississippi River into the Gulf of Mexico. The excess nitrates and pollution from this runoff has led to a hypoxic zone in the Gulf of Mexico which is basically a dead area where no marine life can survive.

ECOLOGICAL DANGERS OF TOP SOIL LOSS

When the soil is gone, we as a species will be completely dependent on petroleum for creating chemical fertilizers give the plants we eat the nutrients they need to grow. The problem, of course, is that oil isn’t going to be around forever either. Peak oil is a moment in time when the maximum extraction of oil is reached, and some studies believe that we´re already reached that bleak milestone.

Our dependence on petroleum based agricultural inputs for fertility purposes, then, is simply unsustainable. Furthermore, without top soil to provide naturally occurring fertility, the use of chemical inputs is creating a host of ecological damages. Chemical fertilizers are almost all salt based leading to increased soil salinity. Though plants will grow with increased vigor initially, chemical fertilizers disrupt the natural soil cycle leading to eventual barrenness.

Top soil loss doesn’t only cause a serious challenge to our long term food security, but it also causes other serious ecological catastrophes. The run off of top soil increases pollution and sedimentation in our waterways causing serious population declines in certain species of fish. Also, lands without top soil are more prone to serious flooding and increased desertification. Already 10-20% of our planet´s drylands face desertification, and needless today, plants don´t grow well in deserts.

KEEP READING ON PERMACULTURE RESEARCH INSTITUTE

Industrial Farming is Driving the Sixth Mass Extinction of Life on Earth, Says Leading Academic

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‘Re-imagining a world with less stuff but more joy is probably the way forward,’ says Professor Raj Patel

Author: Ian Johnston | Published: August 26, 2017

Industrial agriculture is bringing about the mass extinction of life on Earth, according to a leading academic.

Professor Raj Patel said mass deforestation to clear the ground for single crops like palm oil and soy, the creation of vast dead zones in the sea by fertiliser and other chemicals, and the pillaging of fishing grounds to make feed for livestock show giant corporations can not be trusted to produce food for the world.

The author of bestselling book The Value of Nothing: How to Reshape Market Society and Redefine Democracy will be one of the keynote speakers at the Extinction and Livestock Conference in London in October.

Organised by campaign groups Compassion in World Farming and WWF, it is being held amid rising concern that the rapid rate of species loss could ultimately result in the sixth mass extinction of life. This is just one reason why geologists are considering declaring a new epoch of the Earth, called the Anthropocene, as the fossils of soon-to-be extinct animals will form a line in the rocks of the future.

The last mass extinction, which finished off the dinosaurs and more than three-quarters of all life about 65 million years ago, was caused by an asteroid strike that sent clouds of smoke all around the world, blocking out the sun for about 18 months.

Prof Patel, of the University of Texas at Austin, said: “The footprint of global agriculture is vast. Industrial agriculture is absolutely responsible for driving deforestation, absolutely responsible for pushing industrial monoculture, and that means it is responsible for species loss.

“We’re losing species we have never heard of, those we’ve yet to put a name to and industrial agriculture is very much at the spear-tip of that.”

Speaking to The Independent, he pointed to a “dead zone” – an area of water where there is too little oxygen for most marine life – in the Gulf of Mexico that has grown to the same size as Wales because of vast amounts of fertiliser that has washed from farms in mainland US, into the Mississippi River and then into the ocean.

“That dead zone isn’t an accident. It’s a requirement of industrial agriculture to get rid of the sh*t and the run-off elsewhere because you cannot make industrial agriculture workable unless you kick the costs somewhere else,” he said.

KEEP READING ON THE INDEPENDENT

Fashion Revolution Week. The Only Fashion Week Worth Caring About

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Fashion Revolution Week 2017 was our biggest and loudest to date

Author: Carry Somers | Published: August 11, 2017

Our movement continues to grow, with more people than ever calling for a fairer, safer, more transparent fashion industry.

From Australia to Brazil, Uruguay to Vietnam, we saw 2 million people engage with Fashion Revolution in April through events, posting on social media, viewing our videos or downloading resources from our website. 66,000 people attended around 1000 Fashion Revolution events, from catwalks and clothes swaps, to film screenings, panel discussions, creative stunts and workshops. A further 740 events took place in schools and universities, assisted by our network of 120 student ambassadors around the world.

More people want to know #whomademyclothes

As in previous years, our social media impact was immense, with 533 million impressions of posts using one of our hashtags during April – an increase of almost 250% on last year.

Over the week we have been joined by hundreds of celebrities and influencers including internationally-recognised names such as actress Emma Watson, pro-surfer Kelly Slater, artist Shepard Fairey, editor-in-chief of Marie Claire Italia Antonella Antonelli, Brazilian actress Fernanda Paes Leme, Nobel Prize Winner Professor Yunus and cooks Jasmine and Melissa Hemsley, and Bangladeshi ex child worker Kalpona Akter.

KEEP READING ON FASHION REVOLUTION

Chris Malloy’s Newest Film Focuses on Food’s Relationship With the Environment

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Author: Andrew Amelinckx | Published: August 1, 2017 

Malloy’s latest documentary is Unbroken Ground, which he made for Patagonia Provisions. The 25-minute film, released today, looks at four innovative solutions to agricultural problems, through the lens of the thought leaders behind them: Wes Jackson of The Land Institute, who has been working on a perennial wheat variety that could greatly improve soil health; Stephen Jones, the director of Washington State University’s The Bread Lab, a combination think-tank and baking laboratory that produces grain and legume varieties for small U.S. farmers; Dan and Jill O’Brien, the owners of Cheyenne River Ranch, who switched to raising cattle to bison, which they believe is a more sustainable protein source; and Ian Kirouac, Keith Carpenter, and Riley Starks, the founders of Lummi Island Wild, who use reef netting—a more environmentally friendly technique—to catch salmon.

Malloy, like his two younger brothers, Keith and Dan—who have also had storied surfing careers and are filmmakers—is a brand ambassador for the outdoor clothing and gear company Patagonia. He raises beef cattle on a ranch in Lompoc, California, where he lives with his wife and three kids.

We recently caught up with Malloy via phone to ask him about filmmaking, ranching, and more.

Modern Farmer: When did you begin making films?

Chris Malloy: Around ’97 I was making a living as a surfer when I had a kind of career-ending injury. I was confronted with either driving a tractor for my dad or finding another hustle. I’d been exposed to filmmaking through being in front of the lens for so long. I had a few bucks saved up so I went out for 18 months and made a surfing doc and fell in love with it. At the beginning, it was surf-oriented then it slowly and surely evolved into conservation and ag issues

MF: How did you get into ranching?

CM: I want to be super clear that while I run some cows and my wife grows a lot of food, I don’t make a living as a rancher, a farmer, or a fisherman. I do all those things out of passion and as a pursuit to feed my kids food that I’ve been involved in producing. I grew up having pigs, chickens, goats, and my dad grew some food, but he drove a dozer for a living. I think there’s a big delineation between folks who have a passion for growing food, and that special character who is crazy enough to make that their whole life. My wife and I dream of the day when we can do that full time. In the interim we get to feed our friends and family food that we’re really proud of.

 

 

MF: Tell me a little about the film’s premise.

CM: Farmers, ranchers, and fishermen are really demonized by our society. They’re seen as backwards and extractive. This film isn’t anti-farming, ranching, or fishing; it’s pro-farming, ranching, and fishing. It’s about alternatives that are financially viable so that the common man can feed his family—maybe not right now, but down the road. This film is not a victory lap, it’s a battle cry; it’s a report of where some visionary, half-crazy folks have gotten with offering an alternative vision for agriculture.

MF: Did you find a common set of ideas or ideals, which all the characters in the film share?

CM: All these people share a few things in common, but one is that they’re all a little crazy. They have a very educated hunch that they can supply a viable alternative to a specific area of agriculture, and they’ve dedicated their lives to it. This is about shifting agricultural systems worldwide. Wes Jackson says if you’re trying to tackle a problem that you can fix in your lifetime, you’re not thinking big enough. All of them have calloused hands and sunburned faces, but are also thinkers and philosophers, on some level. These people are doing it and have been doing it for decades. That, for me, was what made them collectively so inspiring to be around.

KEEP READING ON MODERN FARMER 
WATCH THE FILM HERE 

Here’s What Indonesia Is Doing About Haze From Forest and Peatland Fires

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Author: Nithin Coca | Published: August 10, 2017

In 2015, massive fires burned across Indonesia, releasing hazardous smoke across neighboring countries. How close is the country to meeting its goal of reducing haze from future fires?

August 10, 2017 — Two years ago, Indonesia experienced the largest fire event in modern human history, with more than 2.5 million hectares (6 million acres) of tropical landscape burning, emitting more greenhouse gases than all of Germany does in a year. But the most visible sign of the disaster was the haze that spread across a huge swath of Asia; the particulates in the smoke sullying the air that tens of millions of people breathed. According to one study, the haze resulted in an estimated 100,000 deaths. 

It was a watershed moment — and one the world knew could not be repeated as global attention focused on the role forests play in regulating climate during that year’s COP-21 climate conference. Fires in the tropics are dangerous, emitting huge amounts of greenhouse gases and releasing toxins, especially when they sit atop carbon-dense peat bogs. But these disasters have become commonplace in Indonesia due to exploitation of peatlands. 

“The root cause of this crisis was forest clearance and peatland drainage at large scale by the plantation sector, which has turned previously valuable ecosystems into huge monoculture plantations, while leaving remaining forests and peatland at high risk of burning,” says Annisa Rahmawati, forests campaigner at Greenpeace Southeast Asia. For years, both palm oil and paper pulp industries built canals to drain peatlands across the country to expand production, which cause them to turn from wet landscapes to dry ones, ready to burn. 

“Fires were a symptom of failed policies,” says Arief Wijaya, senior manager for climate and forests at the World Resources Institute Indonesia. “How the government managed land use was not effective.” 

Historically, agencies at national and local levels distributed land to smallholders and large plantation companies under a patchwork system with no comprehensive national oversight. The result was overlapping and conflicting boundaries, making it impossible to determine who controls burned land. 

KEEP READING ON ENSIA

The 12 Forward Thinkers Changing Style and Sustainability

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Author: Lindsay Talbot | Published: July 19, 2017

Washington may be bailing on the planet, but the fashion industry isn’t.

hese people, from all different industries, all have one thing in common: They’re at the forefront of style and sustainability, and want to be part of the solution. They’re retrofitting factories and building stores that rely on clean energy and emit less of the carbon contributing to global warming. They’re transforming discarded plastics choking our oceans and waterways into jeans and sneakers. They’re developing innovations that reduce waste, recycling materials, and leading by the example of their personal choices. Trends in fashion may come and go, but taking care and being mindful of the environment is one trend that defies all seasons.

Here, the trailblazers we highlight in our first-ever sustainability issue, on newsstands now.

The Original: Yvon Chouinard

Because he sided with the planet long before it was trendy to do so.

PROFESSION: Founder, Patagonia.

ECO CRED: Founded in 1973, Patagonia has racked up major firsts in its steady march toward sustainability. First to switch all of its cotton clothing to organic in 1996 (and heavily invest in regenerative agriculture, working with farmers and scientists to develop technologies that rebuild topsoil and capture carbon in the earth for over 20 years). First clothing line to make fleece using recycled bottles. First to pledge 1 percent of annual sales (as an “Earth tax”) to grassroots organizations, for upwards of $82 million in grants and in-kind donations to date.

OFFICE SPACE: Under Chouinard’s stewardship, the company scrupulously measured the eco-impacts of articles of its clothing in The Footprint Chronicles on its website; converted its Ventura, California, headquarters to new solar-powered smart-grid energy systems; started the Worn Wear initiative, which repairs clothes so they can be used longer; and launched a Drive-Less program that rewards employees who carpool, take public transit, or bike, skateboard, etc., to work with a yearly stipend. Last year, staffers drove 798,900 fewer single-driver miles, cutting CO2 emissions by 589,900 pounds and saving 30,400 gallons of fuel.

KEEP READING ON MARIE CLAIRE

Fashion Waste Poised to Become Environmental Crisis

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Author: Dr. Joseph Mercola | Published: August 16, 2017

Over the past decades society has moved from using biodegradable, recyclable natural products to highly resilient and nonbiodegradable plastics made with toxic chemicals. Plastics invade nearly every area of your life — even parts you don’t see, such as your clothing and microbeads in your makeup and facial products.

Each of these contribute to a rapidly growing problem in the environment, especially our oceans, where plastic micropollution is quickly overtaking the fish population. Discarded plastics are polluting your food supply and ultimately finding their way into your body where they accumulate over time. The risk grows with every discarded bottle, bag, shower curtain and load of wash.

Microfibers that enter the water supply from your washing machine are not the only ways fabric is fast becoming an environmental crisis. The fashion industry has nurtured people’s desire for new clothes to the point that trends shift weekly. These rapidly changing trends naturally result in more clothing being discarded, ultimately clogging up our landfills.

Clothing Purchases on the Rise

The Waste and Resources Action Plan (WRAP) in the U.K. estimates the average piece of clothing lasts approximately 3.3 years, but this estimate may be too high.1 According to one British fashion company, many customers only keep new clothing for about five weeks before it ends up being donated or thrown out.

Today, the average woman in the U.S. owns 30 different outfits, as compared to the nine she owned in 1930,2 and we throw away approximately 65 pounds of clothing per person each year. Americans spend more on shoes, jewelry and watches than on higher education, and 93 percent of girls say shopping is their favorite activity.

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency estimates the amount of clothing recycled is equivalent to taking 1 million cars off the road each year.3 But, 13 million tons of textiles still make it to U.S. landfills every year. The American apparel industry grosses $12 billion.4 Estimates are the average family in the U.S. spends $1,700 per person each year on clothing. The dollar amount is not significant as it represents a small percentage of annual spending, but the cost to the environment is steep.

Fashion Industry Waste Laden With Toxic Chemicals

While it may seem the number of textiles discarded are not important, as most fabric should be biodegradable, the reality is the large amount of clothing thrown away contains more than cotton. The textile industry has taken full advantage of chemicals available to protect the garment or make changes to the product without consideration for how these chemicals affect the environment.

Procedures to treat clothing include using specialized chemicals, such as biocides, flame retardants and water repellents.5 Over 60 different chemical classes are used in the production of yarn, fabric pretreatments and finishing.

When fabrics are manufactured, between 10 and 100 percent of the weight of the fabric is added in chemicals.6 Even fabrics made from 100 percent cotton are coated with 27 percent of its weight in chemicals. Most fabrics are treated with liquid chemicals to ready them for the fashion industry, going through several treatments before being shipped to a manufacturer.

Many chemicals have known health and environmental issues. Greenpeace7 commissioned an investigation into the toxic chemicals used in clothing. They purchased 141 different pieces of clothing in 29 different countries. The chemicals found included high levels of phthalates and cancer-causing amines. The investigators also found 89 garments with nonylphenol ethoxylates (NPEs). Levels above 100 ppm were found in 20 percent of the garments and above 1,000 ppm were recorded in 12 of the samples.

Any level of phthalates, amines or NPEs found in clothing that remains against your body is unacceptable as they are hazardous materials. However, the dangers from these chemicals don’t end when you finish wearing the garment. As the material makes it to a landfill, these chemicals leach out from the fabric and make it to the groundwater.

Perfluorinated chemicals (PFCs) have been widely used in textile marketing and have been linked in epidemiological studies with several different types of cancers in humans.

These chemicals are so ubiquitous they’ve been found in the blood of polar bears and found in tap water supplies used by 15 million Americans in 27 states.8 Cheap, mass-produced clothing has given many individuals the chance to purchase the current style without breaking the bank. But an initial reduction in price on clothing may be at the expense of both people and the environment.

KEEP READING ON MERCOLA.COM

OCA and the True Potential of Organic Cotton

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Published: August 8, 2017 

A prosperous organic cotton sector benefits everyone—from farmer to consumer. To realize the sector’s potential, we need to bring about the conditions that will allow the crop that safeguards the environment and enhances farmer livelihoods to flourish. 

The issue as to whether growing organic cotton produces lower yields is a hot topic. Clarity on this issue is important for understanding how far the lower social and environmental costs of organic cotton production are realized in practice.

To understand this issue, it is helpful to distinguish between organic cotton farming’s potential and what still needs to be done to fully realize that potential. Worldwide, organic cotton yield figures are highly variable. Organic cotton fiber yields reach up to 1,687 kg per hectare in Turkey, but just 508 kg per hectare in India, the world’s largest producer of organic cotton. Reaching the higher end of this yield spectrum is possible if the right enabling conditions are in place.

This is where the Organic Cotton Accelerator (OCA) comes in.  OCA partners have joined forces to solve the sector’s problems and ensure the yields and benefits of organic cotton reach their full potential. OCA partners are piloting interventions designed to improve the organic cotton farmer business case, increase transparency in the supply chain, and secure availability and access to quality, high-yielding organic seed varieties. OCA plans to scale these interventions to ensure the environmental, economic and social benefits of organic cotton are fully maximized.

KEEP READING ON ECOFASHION WORLD