FAQ: How Does Organic Cotton Farming Help the Environment? By Reducing Toxic Chemicals - Both in Your Bedroom And on Our Planet.

 How does organic cotton farming help the environment? Organic farming cuts chemicals out of one of the most chemical-heavy crops in the world and uses healthy management practices to reduce the impact on the earth.

The Problem Posed by Conventional Cotton Farming

Did you know that 10% of all pesticides in the world are used on cotton crops and that an estimated 25% of the world's insecticides end up in the same place? That means something like 6lbs of chemicals (many of which are deemed as likely or known causes of cancer in humans) for every acre of land used for cotton production.

The above figures only include pesticides and insecticides. In addition to those, about 142lbs of synthetic fertilizer is used per acre of cotton, plus herbicides, defoliators and herbicides. To put it in perspective, every T-shirt you see on the shelves in your local shopping center took about 1/3lb of chemical to produce. Is this really what we want in our beds and on our bodies 24 hours a day?

What is Organic Cotton Farming?

Organic farming uses no man-made chemicals of any kind; no pesticides, insecticides, fungicides or fertilizers. That part is generally well-known, but what constitutes organic farming? First, the crop has to start with non-GMO (genetically modified) seeds that are completely free of chemicals. Strict crop rotation must be adhered to so the soil doesn't get used up, this means better soil for the cotton to grow in that requires less water than conventional fields that aren't rotated.

Weeding is done completely by hand. Imagine the work that went into your grandmother's little vegetable patch, then multiply it to an industrial level. No herbicides may be used, so the only way to control those weeds is to get out there with a hoe and remove them one by one. So what about the bugs? Organic farming utilizes proper cultivation of healthy soil to encourage growth of a pest's predators, as well as introduces predatory insects such as praying mantises and ladybugs to further control the plant-eating insects. Finally, organic farming does not use any chemical defoliants prior to harvesting but instead uses seasonal frost or water management so the leaves will fall naturally.

What is Organic Cotton and How Do I Know It's Organic?

Organic cotton is any cotton that is grown by the methods stated above, or any methods that meet the federal requirements for an organic crop. Additionally, for items to be sold as organic they must have no synthetic dyes or be treated with bleach or any other chemicals. If you're not sure if an item is organic or not, read the tag. The propagation of organic crops is very strictly regulated and stiff fines await anyone who mislabels a non-organic item as organic, so you can be sure that if the tag says "organic" it is. Organic cotton fabric also has a different feel to it; it's heavier, softer and breathes better than non-organic cotton and cotton blends.

What are the Environmental Benefits?

As organic cotton farming becomes more popular and the demand for organic cotton fabrics grows, the astronomical amount of harmful chemicals released into the air and soil every year is slowly coming down. Because conventional cotton is such a chemical-heavy crop (in total volume it's only rivaled by corn) every crop that switches to organic makes a huge impact on its immediate environment. The products made from such cotton further that positive impact by offering healthy, safe clothing and bedding for the consumers which significantly reduces the amount of toxins those people are exposed to every day. Besides all that, organic cotton is much more sustainable because it utilizes healthy rotation practices that keep the land healthy and prevent it from being "used up".