Global organic cotton output rose by 10 per cent in the 2016-17 season. The largest volumes came from India, China, Turkey and Kyrgyzstan. While organic still occupies less than one per cent of global cotton production, many countries have growth in the double-digits.

A huge area of cotton-growing land is in transition to organic. About 80 per cent of this transition is taking place in India, with the remainder stemming primarily from Pakistan, China, Tanzania, and Turkey.

However, after hitting a production peak in the 2009-10 season, the sector failed to kick in, and it has been pretty much downhill all the way since then, while other certification schemes such as BCI cotton have flourished.

While organic cotton undoubtedly has positive connotations with consumers, it is more expensive to grow with more variable yields, making it much more difficult to get to market at a profitable price point.

Organic cotton is not necessarily economically viable. There is no disputing the fact that the organic cotton market has struggled to maintain any significant momentum in recent years. Indeed, it often feels like a case of two steps forward, three steps back. Cotton’s share in fiber use has dropped from 50 per cent to just over 30 per cent.