Latin America Home to 400,000 Organic Farmers, But Faces Export Challenges
Latin America has become a major supplier of organic products globally, yet it still faces hurdles before it can firmly establish itself as an international organic export powerhouse. This insight comes from Juan Carlos Ramírez, president of the Board of the Inter-American Commission on Organic Agriculture (CIAO). At the commission’s recent eighth assembly in Argentina, […]
Voices of Lambayeque: Native Cotton and Artisan Heritage
San Martín de Porres University, October 26, 2016 I’d like to thank my colleague and the book’s author, Cristina Gutiérrez, for inviting me to speak before this distinguished audience and the authorities of San Martín de Porres University. It is an honor to share my experiences with Lambayeque’s native cotton and textile traditions. First and […]
Fair Trade Cloth Diapers from Peru Hit Finnish Market
Environmentally friendly cloth diapers are gaining traction in Finland. Now, a Fair Trade-certified version is available thanks to East 25 Oy, which has begun importing from Peru. The idea to produce and import washable diapers that meet Fair Trade standards originated at an informational event hosted by Finnpartnership and the Finnish Association for Fair Trade […]
WFTO Summit Highlights: Fair Trade and Naturally Dyed Cotton
From September 16 to 19, the World Fair Trade Organization (WFTO) held its global summit in Lima, Peru. Gathering more than 400 attendees from 76 countries, the event included fair trade buyers, NGO representatives, government officials, and leaders from international agencies like Simel Esim of the International Labour Organization and Isabel Durant of the United […]
Pima Cotton (IPA 59) Trial: A Historic Organic Harvest
In a landmark event for sustainable cotton cultivation, Dr. Juan Lazo, director of the Instituto Peruano del Algodón (IPA), visited the first experimental organic cotton field of the Pima IPA 59 variety. This innovative trial took place on the Hilbck family’s farm in Alto Piura and marked the world’s first cultivation of this promising variety […]
Amazon Kidney Cotton: Rediscovering a Rare Native Variety
In July 2019, during a routine field visit to the Shipibo-Konibo indigenous community in Yarinacocha, Ucayali, anthropologist Dr. James M. Vreeland, Jr. discovered a towering cotton plant—over 3 meters tall—with a highly unusual seed formation. Known as “kidney cotton” for its tightly packed seeds resembling a human kidney, this variety had not been formally documented […]
Peru’s Potential as a Hub for Organic Apparel
The Peruvian Trade Office in Los Angeles has highlighted the country’s strong potential to emerge as a key center for organic garment production—a move that could significantly benefit exporters aiming to stand out with innovative, sustainable offerings. By developing collections made from certified organic cotton or blending it with premium Pima cotton, Peruvian producers could […]