What is the difference between Pima and Supima?
The name “Pima” is the generic term generally applied to ELS cotton grown in the U.S., Peru, Israel and Australia. The name was given to the ELS cotton being grown in the Southwest U.S. in about 1910. It had previously been called American-Egyptian cotton but was renamed to honor the Pima Indians who were growing the cotton for the USDA in Sacaton, Arizona, where the government’s ELS breeding program was being conducted. “Supima” is the trademark name used to promote and market textile and apparel products made with 100% American Pima cotton. Supima provides licensing agreements to textile mills, manufacturers and brands/retailers for the expressed purpose of promoting specific apparel and textile products in high-end retail outlets.
