Cotton is one of the major materials not only for our clothes but also for our food. The shirts and pants we wear, the bed sheets we sleep on, cottonseed oil we use for cooking, and cottonseed is an important feed for cows that produce milk we drink. However, growing cotton requires the use of enormous amounts of pesticides and fertilizers.
Surprisingly, it is estimated that 25 percent of the world’s insecticide use and more than 10 percent of the world’s pesticide goes to cotton crops. Some of these chemicals are considered to be the most toxic chemical in the world. The health risks of pesticide exposure include birth defects, reproductive disorders, weaker immune systems, and cancer.
In many countries, as cotton is still hand picked, anyone who is working in the fields is exposed to extreme amount of toxic chemicals. Factory workers, too, have to breath in this toxin and according to World Health Organization, up to 20,000 deaths each year are caused by pesticide poisoning in developing countries. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service also found that pesticides unintentionally kill at least 67 million birds annually in the U.S.
These chemicals poison rivers and lakes, and pesticide residue has been discovered in foods and farm animals. Because so many products around us are made from cotton, we are also exposed to these chemicals including clothes, some baked goods, and salad dressings.
Organic cotton is grown without the use of toxic pesticides or fertilizers, which is beneficial to the environment. Besides, working environments are better for farmers and factory workers. Plus, organic cotton clothing is more tender and more conformable to wear especially for babies.
Now many companies have started to have organic products, however, still majority of cotton is grown with toxic chemicals. The more we choose organic cotton products, the better it is for the environment and people who are involved in cotton production, and ourselves.