Organic Cotton

Sharing a special symbiosis with humans, cotton has woven itself into practically every society alive on Earth. Close to half the world’s clothing is made out of cotton fiber – making responsible decisions regarding it’s production both significant and essential. Cotton fabric doesn’t come about through magic, but is grown in bolls as seedlings of the cotton plant, a shrub common to most parts of the world. A traditionally eco-friendly textile, cotton uses less energy than wool in its life cycle, but can still leave a fair amount of environmental damage in its wake when grown conventionally.

Cotton can be a very chemical intensive crop. In the modern world, conventionally farmed cotton allows for a plethora of active chemicals in its production cycle: pesticides, detergents, bleach, brightening agents, equalizers and other chemical agents. Dangerous to both flora and fauna, these substances quickly find their way into local water supplies, corrupting habitat and food chain as they permeate the soil. It’s hazardous business; according to the World Health Organization, conventional cotton farming produces enough toxic pesticides to be responsible for over 20,000 deaths a year in developing countries, while farmed cotton in the first world has been found to harbor a host of biological contaminates, including known potential carcinogens like Ethephon, Malathion, Trifluralin, Acephate, and Glyphosate isoproylamine. Conventionally farmed cotton is no good for the world around it, and corrupts far more than its fair share of the irrigable soil while being cultivated. Conventionally farmed cotton creates ten times the amount of pesticides per volume as food does, accounting for over 20% of global pesticide use. Extensive watering, on top of the heavy dosage of pesticides and other harmful chemical makes cotton severely more taxing to the ecology of its surroundings.

Organically farmed cotton needs much less in the way of soil irrigation than conventional cotton does, relieving pressure on water resources. Aside from pesticide and chemical concerns, sheer water economics and savings is cause enough to encourage the transition to organic and sustainable practices. Cotton is a crop used primarily for textile and clothing manufacture rather than human consumption, yet the environmental damage conventionally farmed cotton inflicts on is too extensive not to be deemed hazardous, and with over 80 countries involved in cotton production, its cultivation too widespread not to be seen as epidemic.

The evidence against conventional cotton is overwhelming. Animal, mineral, or vegetable, it’s not easy trying to exist around the intense volume of chemicals dumped into the production of the conventionally farmed material. It hasn’t always been like this, the use of industrial chemicals in cotton production as a practice is only about 50 years old, making it a relatively new development by human standards.

The Industrial process places a heavy chemical burden on the natural fibers of cotton. Organic farming practices can help. Chemical processing not only emits millions of pounds of airborne pollutants into the atmosphere each year, but can leave harmful residues in the fabrics of the garment. The skin is the largest and many will say its most important organ. Its sweat and oils can wick and absorb toxins. Organic cotton, not exposed to any astringent chemicals lets skin breathe freely.

As consumers begin to change purchasing habits, cotton organics are gain traction and mainstream viability. Established manufacturers like Hanes and Anvil on the one end of the spectrum as well as more boutique shops like Hae Now and Econscious are responding to demand with organic offerings only slightly more expensive than conventional counterparts. As knowledge increases and demand for organics grow, economies of scale will allow organics to compete on a more equal footing. If price points are essentially the same for organics and conventional garments, is there any question which is the logical choice?