Conventional Cotton: A Danger to Human Life?

• Cotton uses about 25% of the world's insecticide and more than 10% of the pesticide (including insecticides, fungicides, herbicides, defoliants).
• In the United States, 25% of all pesticides used are applied to cotton.
• It takes about a third of a pound of synthetic fertilisers and pesticides to grow enough cotton for a T-shirt.
• Five of the top nine pesticides used on cotton are cancer-causing chemicals (cyanazine, dicofol, naled, propargite, and trifluralin).
• All of the top nine cotton pesticides in California are labeled by the US Environmental Protection Agency as Category I or Category II materials, the most toxic classifications.
• In India, 91% of male cotton farm workers regularly exposed to pesticides eight hours or more per day experience some type of health disorder, including chromosomal aberrations, cell death and cell decay.

Organic/Bio Cotton :

Organic/Bio cotton production is a system of growing cotton without synthetic chemical fertilisers, herbicides, conventional synthetic insecticides, growth regulators, growth stimulators, boll openers or defoliants. It is a system that contributes to healthy soils and/or people. The Organic/Bio system promotes enhanced biological activity, encourages sustainability and commands proactive management of production.

Organic/Bio cotton is grown using methods and materials that have a low impact on the environment. Organic/Bio production systems replenish and maintain soil fertility, reduce the use of toxic and persistent pesticides and fertilisers, and build biologically diverse agriculture. Third-party certification organisations verify that Organic/Bio producers use only methods and materials allowed in Organic/Bio production.

Organic/Bio cotton is grown and processed without toxic chemicals that can be absorbed easily when in contact with the user's skin. Pesticides, fertilisers and chemicals used to grow and process conventional cotton fabrics may go directly to the users blood stream, which consequently affects the body's organs and tissues.

Organic/Bio cotton production is not simply an elimination of fertilisers an insecticides but it is a complete production system, which requires equally sound knowledge of cotton production practices. With respect to insect control in particular, a thorough knowledge of non-chemical means of insect control is a pre-requisite for Organic/Bio production.

Use of chemicals in the form of fertilisers, herbicides, insecticides, growth regulators, defoliants and desiccants has increased the cost of production to the extent that cotton is losing its profitability against other field crops. Environmental concerns are also increasing. Organic/Bio cotton production provides an alternative to grow cotton without chemicals.

Organic/Bio cotton production requires careful planning so as to realise optimum yield. It includes a number of factors like site selection, crop rotations, variety, weed control, non-chemical means of insect control and skill to manage Organic/Bio crop. Similarly, there is a need to perfect the agronomic requirements of a crop to be grown without synthetic fertilisers and pesticides.

Besides, the naturally soft Organic/Bio cotton fabric is a lot more comfortable to use and is available at competitive prices.

Use of Organic/Bio Cotton in Textile:

• T-shirts, Shirts
• Trousers
• Underwear
• Vests
• Socks
• Baby wear
• Towels
• Bathrobes
• Denim
• Bed-sheet
• Napkins

Why Organic/Bio Cotton more expensive than Conventional Cotton
These are following reasons, why Organic/Bio cotton is more expensive.

• Organic/Bio Cotton is more expensive to grow.
• Organic/Bio Cotton is more expensive to harvest.
• Organic/Bio fabrics are more expensive to manufacture.
• Organic/Bio garments are more expensive to ship to distributer, retailers and customer.

Some Facts to Share :

Cotton is the world's most popular fabric. Soft and comfortable, it's used for almost every type of clothing. Socks, shirts, sweaters, dresses, jackets, sleepwear, sportswear and more - all begin in lush green fields of cotton.

Cotton farming, however, is hard on the environment. Popular demand for cotton textiles, and competition among producers, has seen a big change in the last two generations - the increased use of pesticide. Cotton is the most pesticide-dependent crop in the world, accounting for 25% of all pesticide use.

These chemicals are taking a toll on our environment and human health as a whole. Every T-shirt made of conventional cotton requires 1/4 pound of harmful chemicals.

According to the USDA, in one year alone over 50 million pounds of pesticides were used on U.S. cotton fields. These pesticides deplete the soil and pollute watersheds.

Organically raised cotton is gradually winning over new ground both on the farm and in the marketplace. No toxins or synthetic fertilizers are used. Organic/Bio cotton is produced without the use of harsh chemical bleaches or dyes, and is allergy free. Natural fertilizers, compost and soil amendments are used, and advances in natural pest control, such as ladybugs which destroy harmful insects, have helped make raising Organic/Bio cotton a viable enterprise. Organic/Bio cotton clothing, unheard of a few years ago, is now available in many stores and online businesses.

A wide variety of products made from organically grown cotton is now available: shirts and pants, socks, underwear, skirts and blouses, sheets and pillowcases, towels and bathrobes. The range of styles can be somewhat limited, but new styles are being developed to keep pace with the growing demand for Organic/Bio cotton clothing.
Colored dyes are still a problem, even with organically grown cotton. Dyes are toxic chemicals, and their use and disposal have harmful effects on the environment. New methods of coloring cotton are being developed to address this problem.

Organically colored cotton is being developed to address this problem, and earthtones are now available which use no dyes whatsoever. Today, colored cotton is grown "on the stem" in shadesof brown, reddish brown, green and yellow. Color-grown cotton:

• Reduces the use of synthetic dyes
• The cost of naturally colored cotton is estimated at 20 to 40% lower than chemically dyed cotton
• Suitable for people with chemically sensitivities
• Has a noticeably soft texture
• Color-grown cotton is not dyed, so it doesn’t fade; the color will actually deepen when you wash it.

Recycled Cotton is another more earth-friendly choice in cotton clothing. Recycled cotton is cotton fabric which has been made from recovered cotton that would otherwise be cast off during the spinning, weaving or cutting process. A trade name for recycled cotton is Eco Fibre; there are no harsh chemicals used in the processing of this fabric.

The clothing business is big business, and there is big resistance to change from chemically-dependent processes to Organic/Bio processes of clothing manufacture. The bottom line is demand. Manufacturers will do what the consumer dictates, and so the change to environmentally responsible, Organic/Bio cotton clothing begins with you the consumer.