Organic cotton is a term that you have probably heard thrown around a lot more recently. Whether it’s being used by a sustainable brand or being abused by a non-sustainable brand. But what is organic cotton and how is it different?
First to give you a bit of background knowledge about cotton…
Cotton is the most utilised non-food crop in the entire world and employs over 250 million people, accounting for around 7% of all employment in developing countries. Cotton is a natural and biodegradable fibre. However, the circumstances in which it is grown is often anything but natural and sustainable.
It takes 2,700 litres of water to make one t-shirt. Experts argue that cotton is the largest user of water among all agricultural commodities. Surface and ground waters are often diverted to irrigate cotton fields, which leads to a loss of fresh water.
Have you heard of the Aral Sea? Or what’s left of it? The below image on the left is what the sea looked like in 1989. And the image on the right is what the sea looked like in 2008. The surface area used to span over 26,000 square miles. Since 1960, the lakes area has decreased 75% of its original size and holds just 10% of its original volume of water. The former fourth largest lake in the world, depleted after an enormous irrigation system was built to water fields of cotton in in Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan. It is also estimated that 97% of the Indus River in Pakistan, goes towards producing crops like cotton.
Just 2.4% of the worlds arable land used to grow cotton yet 24% of worlds insecticides and 11% of worlds pesticides are used to grow it. The whole cotton plantation is doused in pesticides to kill the small number of weeds that grow. An estimated 43 million tonnes of pesticide dust are blown into the air every year. It is no coincidence that the regions surrounding the Aral Sea suffer the highest rate of throat cancer in the world.
Not only do the pesticides get into the air, but also the water. Leading to polluted waterways, damaged ecosystems, harm to plants and animals and not surprisingly, us. According to the World Health Organisation, 20,000 individuals die of cancer and miscarriages each year in developing countries as a result of chemicals sprayed on conventional cotton.
In China, the factory of the world, it is estimated that 70 percent of the rivers and lakes are contaminated by the 2.5 billion gallons of wastewater produced by the textile industry. The opening line of the fast fashion documentary, River Blue: “There’s a joke in China that you can tell the ‘it’ colour of the season by looking at the colour of the rivers”.
Now you may have an idea as to why conventional cotton is known as the worlds dirtiest crop. So how is organic cotton different?
Growing organic cotton uses way less pesticides and insecticides. Any weeds that are found, are killed at the root instead of spraying the whole crop. This means there is little to no water and air pollution from these toxins, and the health of the workers and those living in surrounding regions is not compromised. Another benefit is that the soil is not as damaged, and is able to retain more water, and in turn not use more water to grow the organic cotton. Which could save rivers and seas like the ones discussed above.
Organic cotton emits up to 46% less greenhouse gases than non-organic.
Farmers of organic cotton will always grow other crops alongside. This enriches the soil, providing better organic cotton production, but it also supplies the farmers with a more stable, accessible food supply and another source of income. Most brands selling organic cotton will be certified. This ensures that the organic cotton in question is legit and meets all criteria. The certification also means that the farmers are given advice about how best to grow their organic cotton and how to ensure they support themselves.
We all choose where we shop, and we all have the ability to make decisions that we know will affect others’ lives for better or for worse. Remember the benefits that organic cotton possesses and please make an effort to shop organic when faced with it. If you are purposely shopping organic, be aware that unless the brand is certified (soil association, GOTS, etc) that it might not be legit or not 100%. And even if it is certified, be aware if you are shopping from a fast fashion brand- it’s not ethical.
If you would like to shop more sustainably, check out my blog post from the other week. SO many amazing sustainable and ethical brands at affordable prices.
sustainablejas 