| Organic Cotton |
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| Environment - Environment |
| Written by Avery Richards |
| Saturday, 08 August 2009 08:51 |
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Cotton fabric does not come about naturally, but is grown and processed from seedlings of the cotton plant, a shrub common to many parts of the world. Cotton has woven itself into practically every society alive on Earth, and shares a unique symbiosis with us humans. Cultivated in all four corners of the world, close to half the world's clothing is made from its fiber. Traditionally eco-friendly textile, cotton can still leave a fair amount of environmental damage when farmed conventionally.
Cotton fabric does not come about naturally, but is grown and processed from seedlings of the cotton plant, a shrub common to many parts of the world. Cotton has woven itself into practically every society alive on Earth, and shares a unique symbiosis with us humans. Cultivated in all four corners of the world, close to half the world's clothing is made from its fiber. Traditionally eco-friendly textile, cotton can still leave a fair amount of environmental damage when farmed 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. Cotton is a crop that 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 a hazard, and too widespread not to be seen as epidemic. Implementation of sustainable farming practices in conjunction with organically farmed cotton on irrigable land is cause enough to encourage the transition to organic, based on the amount of water conventional cotton requires alone. On the other hand, organically farmed cotton needs much less in the way of soil irrigation than conventional cotton does, relieving extraneous pressure on water, the world's most valuable resource. 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 need for a change from conventional to organic cotton farming is overwhelming, and not just for those directly involved in the process. Animal, mineral, or vegetable, few are spared from the effects of cotton textile production. Organic farming practices can make a difference. Industrial processing places a heavy chemical burden on natural fibers. Chemical use in textiles is a process that not only dumps untold millions of pounds of airborne pollutants into the atmosphere each year, but can leave a negative residue alive in the fibers of the garment. The skin is the largest, and some say most important organ, helping us metabolize the outside world and breathe. Human sweat and naturally occurring oils can draw toxins out of industrially treated cotton fabric, revealing chemical signatures that however minimal, can still leave an unpleasant residue the skin reacts to. Organic cotton fiber is not exposed to any astringent chemicals, and lets the skin of the garment breathe more like human skin. That is why organic cotton is a favorite material for those with any sort of sensitivity or skin condition. The good news is with environmentally conscious business on the rise, organically grown cotton is quickly gaining in popularity. Established brand names such as Anvil and Fruit of the Loom, as well as upstarts like Econscious and Hae Now of California have implemented blending programs designed to introduce organic textiles as a fixture of the modern marketplace. Like many ecologically friendly products, organic cotton is about making responsible choices, but is also about creating a higher set of standards for the consumer, about letting the demands of the market serve as a positive catalyst of change. People want to feel comfortable in their own skin, they also want to buy conscience free goods, products without any harmful activity attached to them. Organic textiles, as well as the sustainable farming practices they nurture, are a blessing to the macro-ecology of the world at large, not to mention our common sense. About the Author: Avery Richards is an environmentalist and an advocate for organic shirt printing. Avery is also a consultant to the screen printing industry where he advises on organic t shirt printing. |