Organic Cotton
What is and why use organic cotton?
Cotton is one of the oldest used fibers and the most important non-food crop grown in the world. Currently, cotton makes up around 24% of all fiber use globally. Many believe they are making an eco-friendly choice when buying clothing that is made from cotton, after all, it’s natural, renewable and biodegradable. Though these are favorable attributes, not all cotton is grown equally. The environmental and social impact of conventional cotton is far worse than one might think. Cotton is cotton, right? Wrong!
Conventional cotton
Conventionally grown cotton, the cotton that most of us know and is readily available around us, uses about 2.5% of the planet’s agricultural land, it accounts for about 16% of all insecticides and 6% of all pesticides used worldwide. Further, conventional cotton uses genetically modified (GMO) seeds and synthetic fertilizers. Conventional cotton requires an average of 360 pounds of fertilizer per acre every year. All of these chemicals, some of which are highly toxic, seep into the local water systems harming the communities and the biodiversity in the area, get into the air, and soil. Further, these chemicals pose a direct health threat to the farmers that are exposed to them every day. Soil degradation caused by the chemicals also often results in farmers facing declining yields and being forced into poverty. The use of these chemicals creates a vicious cycle that demands the need of more powerful chemicals and fertilizers as the soil degrades and pest and weeds become more resistant to pesticides and herbicides.
Conventional cotton, partially a result of the farming method, is a very thirsty crop, requiring about 713 gallons (2,700 liters) of water to produce just one t-shirt.
Why and what is organic cotton?
Most of the world’s cotton that is grown with hazardous synthetic pesticides and made with toxic dyes in unfair and unhealthy working conditions.
It is an industry that is rife with child labour and disastrous health consequences from grower through to consumer.
We believe the negative effects of conventional cotton farming and what goes on in the textile industry is not acceptable anymore. Everyone involved must be treated fairly with no child labour.
We are dedicated to changing the game, redefining luxury and reshaping conventional cotton textile industry practices to provide organic, pure, luxuriously soft and chemical free products that complement the sacred spaces you create. And what’s more it is all made with love for the Earth and Her people.
We don’t believe that it makes sense to incorporate synthetic materials with our certified 100% organic cotton such as polyester and spandex.
https://www.soilassociation.org/media/11662/coolcotton.pdf
Conventional cotton accounts for 16% of global insecticide use – more than any other single crop. And it takes an estimated 317 gallons (2,700 litrers) of water to make just one cotton t-shirt
- It is estimated the global consumption of cotton releases around 220 million tonnes of CO2 e and consumes around 4% of the world’s nitrogen fertilisers. A Life Cycle Assessment of conventional (non-organic) cotton concluded that 1 tonne of cotton fibre produces 1.8 tonnes of CO2e.
https://notraceshop.com/tag/organic-vs-non-organic-cotton/
organic cotton benefits the fields, nearby streams and rivers, local ecosystems, farmers, farm workers, fabric manufacturers, you, and your family.
- Organic cotton is cotton that’s grown in a way that has minimal negative effects on the environment. This means:
-soils are protected and replenished.
-toxic pesticides and synthetic fertilizers are avoided (healthier for works and the environment
-crops are grown in a way that supports bio-diversity of crops (crop rotation)
- Organic cotton is grown without genetically engineered seeds.
- Organic cotton is grown in a way that complies with the United Nations’ guidelines for human rights. That means from fields to manufacturing plants, no child labor, no slave labor, and no forced labor is used.
- Organic cotton is certified by a third-party organization. That oversight means farmers have to comply with the standards set by third-party organizations.
The planet is all of ours home.
