Why Organic Cotton?
Posted by Lucia T on
What are the benefits of organic cotton? Is it just a feel good thing? Why should you even care whether the clothes you buy are made from organic cotton or not?
One of the biggest challenges in the fashion industry today (of which there are quite a few, sigh) is the enormous amount of pesticides, insecticides and other chemicals used in the production of cotton. Not to mention the heavy metals etc used in fabric dyes and printing.
Who knew that a mix of fire-retardants, hormone disruptors and heavy metals are all involved in making the fabric you put next to your (and your childrens') skin?! We like to eat organic foods, but what about the benefits of organically produced fabrics?
Here are a few to think about...
Reduce your environmental footprint - organic cotton is not grown from genetically modified seeds, and no toxic synthetic agricultural chemicals such as pesticides and fertilisers are used in organic cotton farming. Regular cotton farming alone is responsible for 24% of insecticides and 11% of pesticides despite using only 3% of the world's arable land (UN source below). This is crazy!
Reduce your exposure to harmful chemicals - no heavy metals and other nasties are used in the dyeing and printing processes. And with GOTS certified fabrics - you can be sure that the clothes you are wearing are safe and non-toxic for you and your family.
Social responsibility - conventional cotton farmers and their communities are at risk of severe health consequences due to the over use of toxic agrochemicals. Water pollution and soil erosion are just a few of the issues cotton farming communities have to deal with.
In short, at the end of the day, don't underestimate your power as a conscious consumer. You have the power to make a difference by buying less and buying better. X
