The production and economics of organic cotton in Turkey and in the world

Increased level of chemical inputs used in the production of cotton is adversly affecting water resources, human and animal health resulting in an increased worldwide need for organically-produced cotton. Turkey has a large scale contribution to the production of organic cotton. No synthetic chemicals such as fertilizers, pesticides, defoliants are used in organic cotton agriculture. Because of this, the yield is lower and the production costs are higher in the production of organic cotton as compared to the conventional production. Usually, the production cost of organic cotton is about 50% higher compared to the conventionally-grown cotton. However, since the price of organic cotton is 20-56% higher compared to the conventional cotton, the organic cotton production could be more profitable. In this study, the production, consumption, and trade of organic cotton in Turkey and in the world as well as the price, costs, and marketing structure and Turkey?s production potential were investigated. Key words: Organic cotton, production costs, marketing.