| Organic Fabrics - What Are They and Why Should We Use Them? |
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| Written by Guest |
| Monday, 08 February 2010 11:44 |
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We are all familiar with the term "organic" when it comes to food. But do you know what it means for a fabric to be organic? And why should we care? Cotton is a huge industry - the largest producers of cotton, currently (2009), are China and India, with annual production of approximately 34 million bales and 24 million bales, respectively; most of this production being consumed by their respective textile industries. The largest exporters of raw cotton are the United States, with sales of $4.9 billion, and Africa, with sales of $2.1 billion. The total international trade is estimated to be $12 billion (taken from Wikipedia). No wonder the cotton industry wants us to believe that this fibre is wonderful! Now here are some facts about this crop that conventional cotton growers don't want you to know. Although cotton only occupies five percent of cultivated land in India, it accounts for more than half of the total pesticides used in farming there. The cost to the country has not just been environmental. "Farmers growing transgenic cotton borrow money from moneylenders to buy chemical fertilizers, pesticides and seeds. In case of crop failure, due to adverse conditions, like no rainfall and pests, the farmer is not in a position to give the money back. Many feel forced to commit suicide". In October and November, 45 farmers committed suicide here. Most of them drank pesticide. It is thought more than 17,500 farmers killed themselves between 2002 and 2006.* Agriculture for conventional cotton is responsible for approximately 25% of the insecticides and approximately 10% of all pesticides used worldwide. Some of these chemical used are the most toxic in the world. 5.5 kilos of chemicals are used for one acre of cotton grown. This translates into half a kilo of chemicals used to make one set of bed sheets! The chemicals can wash off the plants onto the earth and into groundwater, causing land and water pollution. The health of the farm workers of these crops are at risk. In fact, approximately 20,000 farm workers die each year from pesticide poisoning, according to the World Health Organization. Agriculture for conventional farming also uses large amounts of water, typically from areas which suffer from drought seasonally. 5.5 kilos of chemicals are used for one acre of cotton grown. Half a kilo (2.2 lbs), of chemicals is used to make one set of bed sheets made from 100% cotton.
Now, for the good news... More and more people are aware of the harmful effects on the environment that conventional cotton crops have, and of the potentially harmful health effects of wearing, sleeping on, sitting in, and breathing conventional cotton. As the demand for organic cotton has grown, so has the production. According to the Organic Trade Association, as of 2007, 265,517 bales of organic cotton were produced in 24 countries and worldwide production was growing at a rate of more than 50% per year. Organic farming reduces the mass use of pesticides, chemicals and water, although it does still require a great deal of water to grow organic cotton. |
