Why Organic?

For Farmers

Quite simply, the pesticides, insecticides and fertilizers used in cotton production are deadly poisons.  Of course they are; they are designed to kill insects and weeds.  However, they are also poisoning the farmers spraying the chemicals.  The World Health Organisation estimates that thousands of deaths and millions of chronic illnesses EACH YEAR are as a direct result of farming with these chemicals.    

The production of non-organic cotton accounts for the usage of more agricultural pesticides per unit that any other crop, about 16% of the world’s total pesticide usage.  The amount spent annually on chemicals is staggering and can be up to 60% of a farmer’s production costs.  As the pests become immune to the pesticides, the farmer has to spray more and more expensive chemicals each year.  Combined with stagnant cotton prices, farmers can find themselves in an ever increasing cycle of debt.

Organic cotton carries a 20% premium on non-organic cotton and the farmers save on expensive chemicals.  This can increase their income by an average 50%. 

For Local Communities

It’s not just the farmers who are being poisoned by pesticides.  Others are also being poisoned: local children, due to the proximity of their homes to the cotton fields or by playing in and around the cotton fields, animals being fed with cotton seed, and others due to water and food contamination and the re-use of pesticide containers. 

We all want our children to do the best they can at school, we make sure they go to bed on time each evening, have a proper breakfast each day, we give them the help and support they need to do the best they can.  A 2003 study of the affects of pesticides on children in India found “that children living in cotton producing areas performed significantly worse in tests assessing mental ability, cognitive skills, concentration, balance and co-ordination” (http://www.i-sis.org.uk/Picking_Cotton_Carefully.php).  And a lot of children don’t get to go to school as their parents can’t afford to send them.

The switch from conventional to organic cotton provides safer conditions for the farmer and the entire local community.  The fairer price farmers receive for organic cotton allows farmers to send their children to school and afford healthcare.

 
For the Environment

The use of pesticides in conventional cotton production is a great cause for environmental concern.  Not only do the chemicals contaminate the ground, air, water supplies and the food chain, they also speed up soil erosion.  The water usage required by conventional cotton production is astronomical – 20,000 litres per 1kg of cotton in Uzbekistan.  All of this is leading to the degradation of the natural eco-system. 

A switch to organic cotton production doesn’t guarantee that less water will be used in its production.  However, the production of organic cotton is more focused on the utilisation of efficient irrigation systems and rain-fed crops.  By producing organic cotton with sustainable production practices that promote biological diversity, there is a chance to help to repair the ecological balance.

 
For Quality

A typical conventional cotton t-shirt uses about 150 grams of chemicals.  The usage of these chemicals and the growing, processing and dyeing procedures as a whole can weaken the fabric. 

Organic cotton is not subjected to any of these procedures so the fabric is naturally stronger, softer and more durable.

 
For Baby

One drop of the pesticide aldicarb can kill an adult male if absorbed into the skin.  This and other chemicals can remain in the cotton even after the fabric has been turned into clothing.  While the quantities are not enough to kill, they can still irritate the skin and cause eczema and allergies.  A baby’s skin is thinner and five times more absorbent than that of an adult.  Everything that touches a baby’s skin can potentially cause irritation. 

Organic cotton contains none of these allergens and is recommended not only for babies with eczema, other skin conditions or asthma, but as the right choice for every baby, child and adult.

By changing our purchasing decisions and moving away from conventional cotton and towards sustainable organic fair trade fabrics, we can create a brighter future for our babies.

For more information on sustainable organic cotton, click on any of the following sites:

http://www.tradeknowledgenetwork.net

http://www.sustainablecotton.org

http://www.ejfoundation.org

http://www.pan-uk.org

http://www.fairtrade.org.uk