EU-BRAZIL Investment Dialogue

Pioneering harvest of green colored cotton in Paraíba supplies Spanish manufacturer of organic fabrics

The harvest of naturally green fiber cotton has begun in the Acauã resettlement in the Paraíba Agreste region, an experience pointed out as the first of its kind in the country. The crop is part of the Algodão ATER Paraíba project, aimed at stimulating agroecological cultivation among family farmers and ensuring the sale of production. All the harvested fiber is acquired by Organic Cotton Colours (OCC), a company from Spain that manufactures clothing and fabrics from organic cotton.

According to Paulo Emílio, regional manager in Itabaiana of the Paraíba State Company for Research, Rural Extension and Land Regularization (Empaer), more than 70 families participate in the initiative, and the estimate is that about 30 tons will be obtained in the five contemplated municipalities. The producers intercrop the cotton with corn, beans, fava beans, sesame, pumpkin, and peanuts, which guarantees food for their own consumption and a surplus for sale. Soil preparation, planting, and management activities are divided into groups, which reduces costs, and technical monitoring is the responsibility of Empaer. A differentiator of the model is advanced contracting, by which purchasing companies fix the price and volume before planting, protecting the farmer from fluctuations. The cultivars were developed by the Brazilian Agricultural Research Corporation (Embrapa), through the Embrapa Cotton unit, headquartered in the state. The management does not require synthetic pesticides or chemical fertilizers.

The natural pigmentation of the fiber eliminates the artificial dyeing stage, a process that usually involves chemical substances and generates waste with environmental impact. For the regional manager, the international demand for organic colored cotton, especially in Europe, opens up space to expand the activity in the state.

Read more at: https://g1.globo.com/pb/paraiba/noticia/2026/10/17/producao-de-algodao-colorido-verde-em-itatuba-na-pb-e-pioneira-no-pais-e-exportada-para-a-europa.ghtml