Cotton is often referred to as “the fabric of our lives,” and for good reason. We come in contact with items made from cotton every day. The clothes you wear, the sheets you sleep on, the diapers you put on your baby, the fabric covering your mattresses and even some of the food you eat have been made with cotton. But growing conventional cotton requires the use of enormous amounts of pesticides, which has a huge environmental impact and presents health risks for those working around it. It may cost less to manufacture and buy conventional cotton, but it’s better for the land, the farm workers and your well-being to choose organic whenever possible.

Cotton represents today about 40% of textile production in the entire world. China is the first producer with more than 7 million tons harvested in 2006/2007. India and the USA are respectively second and third with a production that reached more than 5 million tons for each country. The latest International Cotton Advisory Committee (ICAC) estimates suggest that 26.0 million tons of cotton will be produced in the world during 2007/08, only 50,000 tons more than what was produced in 2006/07.

The cotton cultivation is crucial for the economy. It also presents major problems for our environment. There are more pesticides and insecticides used to grow cotton than for any other crop. Each year cotton growers use around 10% of the world’s pesticides, and 25% of all insecticides in production. The consequences of this millenary farming have to be taken very seriously. These toxics can be a threat to people and wildlife.

It is as much the farmers’ responsibility as the consumers’ to help promote clean production of cotton through producing and buying organic cotton products. This is not always easy. The soil for organic cotton has to be clean from all growth stimulators, pesticides or insecticides for three years before planting. Since cotton is a fragile crop, it takes time and hard work to have a good yield with no use of toxic agricultural chemicals. Consequently, the price of organic cotton tends to be higher.