Organic Cotton
Why Organic is Important
Why is buying organic cotton so important? Won’t the pesticides just wash out of non-organic cotton clothing and other fabrics?
No, they don't, not completely. Pesticides are imbued in the cotton’s fibers from the very beginning of its life and they continue to be slowly released for years, exposing us to these toxic chemicals as we wear them and sleep on them. These include insecticides, herbicides, fungicides and defoliants. Seven of the 15 pesticides commonly used on cotton plants are listed by the EPA as possible or known carcinogens. Further, supporting conventional cotton exposes farmers, neighbors, manufacturers and wildlife to massive doses of toxic chemicals and pollutes the soil, air and groundwater for years. I’ve seen estimates showing that between 16 percent and 25 perfect of all pesticides used around the world are used for growing cotton. I’m not sure anyone knows the real number but it doesn’t matter. It’s a lot. Cotton is one of the most chemically-treated crops in the world. In the US alone close to 100 million pounds of pesticides and related chemicals are poured and sprayed on cotton crops across the country every year. It doesn’t end up on just clothes and sheets. Only about 35 percent of cotton is turned into fabrics. The seed makes up about 60 percent of cotton’s use as the seeds are crushed to obtain their oil, which is then used in a wide variety of processed foods like cookies, chips and salad dressings.
So choosing to buy organic is important for your own health and that of the Earth and all of its ecosystems and inhabitants. But not just any organic cotton. This is where all the certifications come in and why you see them mentioned in product descriptions. Fabrics that carry the GOTS independent certification label adhere to strict standards not only for organic integrity as the plants are grown but also for how the cotton is treated post-harvest. For example, GOTS prohibits the use of many chemicals, including dyes, commonly used in textile production that cause cancer, other illnesses, birth defects and hormone disruption. They also consider chemicals’ effect on wildlife and the environment when evaluating each one. So ensuring that organically-grown cotton remains non-toxic from farm to finished product is why the additional layer of oversight, testing and protections from certifying organizations is important.