View article David Allo, Head of Sustainability at Texfor
When we talk about “sustainable textiles,” the conversation usually revolves around certifications, capsule collections, and sometimes, communication campaigns. It's far less common for someone to mention something as simple as this: Cotton is grown in Europe, and Spain, along with Greece, is one of the leaders in area and production.The most striking thing, however, is not this leadership, but the lack of awareness surrounding it. Even within the European textile sector itself, Spanish cotton remains largely unknown..
I have worked for years with textile companies that are committed to sustainability, and the more I learn about the value chain, the clearer my idea becomes: Cotton grown in Spain brings together a combination of environmental, social and industrial attributes that many countries would like to have…but the market isn't recognizing it as it deserves.
The first surprise comes when we look at the field. In Spain, tens of thousands of hectares of cotton are cultivated, mainly concentrated in Andalusia.There, cotton is not just an agricultural footnote: it's part of the productive landscape, the identity of many regions, and the accumulated knowledge of farmers and ginners. It's a demanding and technically complex crop. The soil must be prepared properly, the ground must reach the right temperature for planting, water must be managed precisely, pests and weeds must be controlled, diseases like whitefly must be dealt with, and constant decisions must be made in the field. Making good cotton is not a routine taskIt turns those who sow it year after year into true specialists.
Unlike many cotton-producing regions around the world, in Spain cotton grows under the umbrella of the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP)This means that, in order to receive subsidies, farmers must comply with demanding environmental and social requirements, subject to controls. In practice, in many cases these requirements go beyond those set by some private “sustainability” schemes that are later displayed on labels and in marketing campaigns. In other words, Spanish cotton is born within a regulatory framework that prioritizes the protection of soil, water, biodiversity and people.
Furthermore, Almost everything from cotton is used.The fiber is used for spinning, the seed can be used for oils or animal feed, and the plant remains are returned to the soil as fertilizer.
(Image: David Allo in a cotton field)
When I talk to farmers who have been in the sector their whole lives, they convey a very clear idea to me: Cotton, when properly processed, fits into a logic of comprehensive utilization and circular economy much more real than some fleeting, fashionable speeches.
However, when the fiber leaves the field and enters the global circuit, the great paradox appears. Most of Spain's cotton is exported as a raw material.On that journey, he loses his name and surname, becoming just another "cotton ball" within international blends and The opportunity to communicate that it is cotton grown in Europe disappearsUnder high standards and with very strong potential traceability, we are producing high-quality cotton, but in too many cases we place it on the market as if it were an indistinguishable product.
The picture isn't all bleak. In Spain, there are industrial players who have understood the strategic value of Spanish cotton and are incorporating it into their developments. Companies like Santanderina Textile, Royo fabrics And some regenerated yarn mills in Catalonia use it to reinforce the quality of their yarns and fabrics, especially when working with highly complex post-consumer recycled materials. In the Olot area, for example, there is a real hub for recycled yarns that many European countries would look upon with envy.Small and medium-sized companies that have been spinning from textile waste for decades, adjusting compositions, refining colors, obtaining shades without the need for dyeing, simply by intelligently combining recycled materials.
During my visits to these companies, I've seen how their technical expertise acts as a compass for the rest of the supply chain: they guide weavers, dyers, garment manufacturers, and brands on what can be recycled, in what proportions, and with what results. And there Spanish cotton appears as a key element in stabilizing the quality of the yarns, improve performance and demonstrate that recycling does not have to be associated with second-rate products.
If we broaden our focus even further, we discover a dimension that we often don't directly associate with cotton: the one of tourism and the country brand. In Catalonia, for example, one of the most emblematic buildings of the old cotton textile industry has been converted into a leading hotel. These kinds of spaces tell a story of economic transformation, of the shift from industry to tourism. But they also present a very powerful possibility: Why not use hotels as a showcase for Spanish textile excellence?
Imagine a 360° guest experience: pillows made by local companies specializing in sleep products, tablecloths and home textiles from national manufacturers, shirts and staff uniforms produced by Spanish industries, and, in all these products, a significant percentage of clearly identified Spanish cotton. None of this is science fiction. We have companies capable of supplying these products, we have the raw materials, and we have a story to tell. What's missing is connecting the dots and deciding what we want to teach, also through tourismThis country knows how to cultivate, spin, weave, make and design with criteria of quality and responsibility.
Behind this chain are also individual leaders who have steered the sector in a clear direction. I could cite the case of Textil Santanderina, based in Cabezón de la Sal, which has been working with Spanish cotton for years and projecting its developments internationally. At the helm of this company, Juan Parés He has contributed, from various positions of responsibility, to placing the Spanish textile industry on the global map, combining technical rigor, strategic vision, and an explicit commitment to sustainability. He is not an isolated exception, but rather a good example of what the sector needs to achieve its goals. Spain cotton must stop being an invisible player in the major debates on responsible raw materials..
If you put all these pieces together—the demanding regulatory framework, the specialized farmers, the industrial recycling base, the creative capacity of textile companies, the potential of tourism, and the leaders who are already pushing in that direction—the conclusion is hard to ignore: We have, at home, a strategic asset for the sustainable transition of European textiles..
What is lacking is not so much "improving" Spanish cotton as making a collective decision about how we want to position it. We need to build a narrative that makes it visible in the supply chain, allowing brands and consumers to identify it as a coherent choice. with the climate, social, and local objectives that we all claim to defend. We need alliances between farmers, cotton ginners, spinners, weavers, garment makers, distributors, and the tourism sector that translate into concrete projects, not just declarations. And We need public policies to support this effortaligning green purchases, foreign promotion and financial support instruments with the reality of a crop that is already doing its homework.
El cotton Spain It is not a hypothetical promise nor a laboratory concept: It exists, it is cultivated every season, it provides jobs, it generates knowledge, and it offers traceability and guarantees that many other origins cannot provide.The question we should be asking ourselves as a sector is not whether it is sustainable enough, but How long will it take us to give it the value it deserves? in the market.
Because If we don't do it, nobody will do it for us.And we would be missing out on one of the few cases where sustainability, local production and industrial competitiveness can go hand in hand.