Use of organically grown cotton by retail titans, fashion designers and small and medium size companies resulted in a dramatic growth in global retail sales of products containing organic cotton between 2001 and 2005, said a report released Thursday by a non-profit U.S. trade association.

Organic production is based on a system of farming that maintains and replenishes soil fertility without the use of toxic and persistent pesticides and fertilizers and genetically modified seeds.

During the four-year period, global organic cotton product sales increased an estimated 35 percent annually, from 245 million U.S. dollars in 2001 to 583 million dollars in 2005, the Organic Exchange said in the report.

In the United States, such sales increased 55 percent per year, from 86 million dollars in 2001 to 275 million dollars in 2005, the report said.

The report projected global organic cotton product sales to skyrocket to 2.6 billion dollars by the end of 2008, reflecting a 116 percent average annual growth rate.

"By using organic cotton, companies can bring added value to their customers and position themselves for long term growth," said report author Rebecca Calahan Klein, president of the Organic Exchange that works to expand the use of organically grown cotton.

Source: Xinhua