Conventional supermarkets might not seem quite the right venue for apparel or home goods made from organic cotton, but don't be fooled: The global market for this crop topped $1 billion in 2006, and estimates project a tripling of that amount by the end of next year, according to the latest annual report from Berkeley, Calif.-based Organic Exchange. A lot of the activity is occurring in the United States, where Wal-Mart Stores emerged as the No. 1 company using organic cotton; Nike and Patagonia also made the top five. According to the report, sales growth will be further driven by the entrance of other national retailers to the market like Target, Pottery Barn and Barney's. It's a good thing the United States is the sixth-largest producer of organic cotton in the world.
