To increase transparency to the user, we provide reference links marked by numbers in parentheses in the copy of the article. There are a few misunderstandings with organic farming, for example, that organic means no pesticides or herbicides at all. That’s simple! According to the WWF, it takes 2,700 litres of water to produce the cotton needed to make just one T-shirt. I think that only these two reasons are more than sufficient to switch over to Organic Cotton, because health and environment should be the prime concerns for any reasonable human being. Irrigation in … Organic cotton promotes and enhances biodiversity and biological cycles and so is beneficial to human health and the environment. However, organic cotton — generally produced without synthetic chemicals, such as fertilisers and pesticides — is a different story altogether. Bio-controlling of insects/pests is also done. Images are provided by Shutterstock & our contributors. Read more! According to the Pesticide Action Network UK, “cotton crops cover 2.4% of the world’s cultivated land but use 6% of the world’s pesticides, more than any other single major crop.”. Among others, the specialty of Indian Organic Cotton is that all the cotton is hand-picked. Cotton can be used to create dozens of different fabric types for a range of end-uses, including blends with other natural fibres like wool, and synthetic fibres like polyester. 20 percent of industrial water pollution is due to textile dyeing and treatments, a figure that can greatly be reduced when factories adhere to textile standards such as GOTS. But there’s not much of this [happening] yet.”, Hand holding Cotton for sale, Gujarat, India, Sorry, but not all cotton is eco-friendly. Now, the scenario has changed. Many of you might know it very well by now. Kid social media influencers are promoting junk food and sugar-filled beverages in their YouTube videos, and they are garnering more than a billion views,…, We know that music, particularly musical training can improve the functioning of the brain. Dates are sweet fruits of the date palm tree. Here are some fabrics that are. This is the reason why we chose to fill our inventory with products made with organic cotton. Organically farmed cotton employs nature-based solutions to manage pests and build healthy soil, instead of the synthetic pesticides, herbicides, defoliants, fertilizers and GMO seeds used to grow conventional cotton. Organically grown cotton can be used to produce organic food products for people and animals. Now a new…, COVID-19 shows a wide range of manifestations among those affected. “However, you have to consider [that] organic farmers grow other crops in their fields.”. Today, Better Cotton accounts for about 12 percent of global cotton production (versus 0.5 percent for organic cotton), and it’s the majority of cotton being used by companies like Nike and H&M. You can have a very good idea of the market for Organic Cotton from the production figures displayed above. The only thing that works against Organic Cotton is the price. Vogue unpacks the confusion around organic cotton and asks environmental experts about how we can all shop more sustainably. Step 4. In addition to textile products like underwear, socks and t-shirts, cotton is also used in fishnets, coffee … That’s amazing! Organic cotton plants are grown without the use of pesticides or GMO seeds. Organic cotton is grown without the use of toxic and persistent pesticides and synthetic fertilisers. In fact, 95 per cent of the water used to grow organic cotton is green water (rainwater and water stored in the soil). A big effort in the organic movement is to use growing systems that replenish and maintain soil fertility and build biologically diverse agriculture. But the precise reasons behind this are less known. “When you mechanically recycle something, you tend to shorten the fibre lengths, which means the quality is not so good,” explains Truscott. This makes organic cotton pads a cost-effective solution for your monthly routine. Organic Facts may receive a portion of revenues if you click on the sponsored ads and links by Google, Ezoic, or the Amazon Affiliate program. 4; Organic farming builds soil matter through crop rotation and the practice of intercropping, in which farmers grow two or more crops in close proximity. Are direct-to-consumer brands the future for sustainable fashion? However, only about one percent of the total 25 million tons of cotton is grown organically. There is one more problem and that is that Organic Cotton goods are not available in as many colors as the conventional cotton goods are. … While conventional cotton can sometimes be irritating to newborn skins, Organic Cotton is never like that. As a result, an increasing number of fashion brands, from Stella McCartney to H&M, are championing the natural fibre. It is true that cotton is very prone to infestation and fungal infections and even a few years back, the conventional cotton growers who used lots of synthetic insecticides, pesticides, fungicides, and fertilizers, naturally enjoyed more production. Organic cotton can be found in everything, from clothing, footwear and home furnishings (towels, bathrobes, sheets, blankets, bedding), to children’s products (clothing, toys, diapers), personal care items (sanitary products, make-up removal pads, cotton puffs and ear swabs), and even stationery and note cards. Hazardous synthetic pesticides and fertilisers are banned in organic farming, so rivers, lakes and drinking water are kept cleaner too. Organic cotton is important not just in the clothing chain but also in the food chain. It does not have dazzling colors, as they are seldom organic. Organic cotton is a good sustainable solution, which is grown without the use of pesticides, from seeds which have not been genetically modified. However, seeing the rate at which the production of Organic Cotton is increasing and more and more farmers taking to organic farming, situations will change, and prices will surely go down very soon. It can also be safely used in surgeries where contamination from any source can be fatal. Global Organic Cotton production jumped by more than 53% in 2006-2007 over that in 2005-2006, and then amazingly by almost 152% in 2007-2008. 4. It is the ideal material for protecting and cleaning newborn babies, particularly for making clothes, bandages, covering and cleaning wounds, baby crib beddings, baby clothes, towels, and thousands of such things. “The majority of organic cotton [is grown on] small-scale farms, which tend to be rainfed rather than irrigated,” explains Truscott, “and because you’re not using synthetic pesticides and fertilisers, you don’t need to use as much water.” Organic cotton doesn’t involve genetically modified crops, which generally require more water, while pesticide-free soil also makes the process more water-efficient. Has fatal affects on many friendly small animals & insects like owls, snakes, earthworms, frogs etc. While conventional cotton can sometimes be irritating to newborn skins, Organic Cotton is never like that. Does not affect their habitat. Organic Cotton can rightly be called the most skin-friendly, most soothing, and most harmless natural fiber. 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