Monthly Archives: April 2011

Cotton Prices

Well…..times are very “interesting” shall we say at the moment.  Cotton prices have reached all all time high by a considerable amount. They have $2 a pound and it has filtered through to garment manufacture over the last year.

The reasons why are many.  But basically there is a world shortage.

Less and less cotton has been grown globally because other crops have been more viable for farmers to grow.  particularly in th USA where farmers were given money by their government to grow crops which could produce fuel.  So they have reduced production of cotton and grown corn instead.  Cotton  a little while ago in the USA was being sold for around 40-50 cents a pound.  However in time we think that some of these farmers will switch back to growing cotton and help reduce the short supply

Then there was the bad weather and severe flooding in Pakistan and a bad monsoon in India hit their production hard.  The final blows were a poor crop in China and then the Indian government slapped export quotas on raw cotton.

The result – a shortage of cotton. Shortages of anything means higher prices as we manufacturers rush to buy cotton so that we are sure not to let our customers down.

Phew.   It si taking its toll but in one way it has given more “clout” to the farmers who are now able to influence the price where once they were in the control of the big buyers.

City Eco Hotel – Shortlisted for Award

The City Eco Hotel  “The Green House” in Bournemouth has been up and running for a year now.  A trail blazing hotel – The “Green House”   has been shortlisted for the Edie’s Awards for Environmental Excellence which celebrates the year’s most successful green innovators and environmental breakthroughs.

Restaurant-and-Bar City Eco Hotel

The 4 star hotel has used our organic polo shirts and organic aprons for their restaurant and bar staff.  Their commitment to ethical sourcing and offering a top class hotel means the hotel is successfully going from strength to strengths.  Congratulations to the director Sarah Burrows!

Cranfield MBA Students come to Cotton Roots

We are really pleased – but also a little nervous.  Two MBA students are coming along to Cotton Roots to scope a study report identifying environment, society and governance issues to our company.  This is a part of their “Managing Sustainable Business” MBA assignment.  I hope that the study will be useful to them, a hands on opportunity and also hopefully it will be very useful to us!  I find it motivating when we have input from someone outside the business.  Their views are different to ours and sometimes takes us in other new directions.  So watch this space.

As a alumni of Cranfield I can highly recommend them.  I always come away full of ideas for our company.