Untapped potential of eco-friendly fibers in PHL textile industry
CLothing is one of the basic needs of man, aside from food and shelter. industries that supply these basic needs have been thriving for years. For one, the textile industry was regarded as one of the main drivers of the industrial revolution.
The industrial revolution has given rise to the mass production of clothes and other products. Innovations, such as the spinning jenny and the cotton gin made it possible to reduce the cost of clothes. Prior to the arrival of machines, clothes were handmade and women would usually spend hours just to make a piece of clothing.
The mass production of clothes also gave rise to the widespread use of cotton among textile manufacturers. The clothing industry made cotton the most profitable nonfood crop in the world. According to the World Wildlife Fund (WWF), its production provides income for more than 250 million people worldwide as approximately half of all textiles are made of cotton.
WWF said, however, that the current cotton production methods are environmentally unsustainable. The group said cotton cultivation severely degrades soil quality. Also, conventional production practices for cotton involve the application of substantial fertilizers and pesticides, which threaten the quality of soil and water.
There are alternatives to cotton, such as fiber from banana and bamboo, which can be grown in abundance in the Philippines. These alternatives are considered environment friendly as the fibers from banana and bamboo are made with minimum use of chemicals. Fibers from the two crops are also biodegradable, which means they will not exacerbate the world’s pollution problem.
The Philippines can very well take advantage of the increasing demand for ecofriendly fibers, given the suitability of its lands for growing bananas, pineapples, abaca and bamboo. The country is known as an exporter of bananas, pineapples, and abaca. Efforts are also underway to expand the plantation of bamboo, which can be used for construction and clothing.
Abaca is already contributing to the export receipts of the Philippines, but there is a lot of room for growth for banana and bamboo fibers. The sustainable apparel market is expected to grow double to $20.51 billion in 2030, from the $10.22 billion recorded in 2022, according to a report by market research firm SNS Insider. It will record a compounded annual growth rate (CAGR) of 9.1 percent over the forecast period of 2023-2030.
The SNS Insider report noted that Asia Pacific will grow at a high CAGR until 2030 due to increasing production capacities and rising consumer awareness about sustainable fashion. The Philippines will not be able to take advantage of this trend if advocates will not get all the support they need to enable local eco-friendly fibers to get the attention of foreign buyers. Initiatives such as fashion shows are welcome as this would train the spotlight on local products (See, “Fashion shows to train spotlight on fabric from bamboo, banana,” in the Businessmirror, April 4, 2024), but Philippine fibers would need more than a sashay on the catwalk to make it in the international arena.