Certified organic fabric is gaining consumer attention.

U.S. demand for organic fibers has been growing steadily over the past few years. In 2006, demand for women’s clothing made from organic fibers grew more than 30 percent, outpacing organic food, according to the Organic Trade Association. The recent surge in demand has created a deficit in the supply of organic U.S. fibers, spurring more cotton, sheep and alpaca farmers to convert to organic, according to Connie Karr of Oregon Tilth, a Salem-based nonprofit organic certifier.

“The purchasing cycle with organics tends to be that people start with organic food,” Karr says. “Then they work organic products into the rest of their life.” Karr attributes the increase in demand to the consumers who made the organic food boom reaching the point where they’re buying other goods.

Karr says she is not concerned about U.S. farmers’ ability to meet demand, however. “Five years ago we had more supply of organic cotton than there was demand,” she says. “Now we don’t have enough, but that’s just a normal cycle, and with more farmers interested in converting their farms or starting new farms, we’ll catch up.”