When you think of cotton production, Sicily might not be the first place that comes to mind. And yet, the Mediterranean island long played a major role in the country’s famous fashion industry, dating back all the way to the 12th century. Sicilian farmers only stopped producing cotton in the 1950s, around the time synthetic fibres were widely introduced to the public. But as consumers are becoming more conscious about the effects of plastics on our environment, some are working to revive the island’s ancient fibre industry.
“We help to promote the restoring of 100 hectares of organic cotton in Sicily,” says Valeria Mangani, President of the Sustainable Fashion Innovation Society, a not-for-profit organization that assists the Organic Cotton Consortium on the island.
Beyond the sustainable cotton project COS (Cotone Organico Sicilia), the organization’s mission is to raise awareness of the impacts of so called “fast fashion”, which is often made of synthetic materials with hard-to-trace supply chains, giving voice to its 2000+ member producers.
The project, which began in 2018, is engaging farmers in various parts of Sicily to revitalize unused agricultural land and breathe life back into an industry that was once well developed here. This is not in the last part because the island’s climate is perfect for growing cotton.
Sowing takes place in March and the cotton gets harvested in September. And all processes are fully organic, foregoing chemical pesticides or dyes. This control over what goes into the fabric is a crucial part for Valeria, because it’s an area of the industry that is under-regulated, she says, and the potential effects of fabric chemicals on health are often overlooked.
Along the way, her organization wants to give a shot in the arm to the local economy and the environment. But the model they built in Sicily can be applied in different regions and to multiple fibers, she says, including hemp, linen, and bamboo, given Italy’s diverse landscape and agricultural conditions.
Above all, bringing cotton back to Sicily offers a starting point for conversation about the origin of our clothes and the impact of the choices we make every day.
“Fashion is a story that begins in agriculture and ends in communication,” she says.
