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Why Use Organic Cotton?
Organic cotton is good
for the environment, good for farmers and good for you. Positives of using
organic cotton: · Organic
methods of agriculture are inherently better for our bodies, our homes, our
planet and future generations. · Organic
cotton is grown using methods and materials that have a low impact on the
environment. · Organic
production systems replenish and maintain soil fertility, reduce the use of
toxic and persistent pesticides and fertilizers, and build biologically diverse
agriculture. · Organic
cotton is grown without chemical agents (fields must be free of synthetic
chemicals for three years before they are certified), and so minimizes damage
to soil, water and air. · Grown and
processed without toxic chemicals, organic cotton is free from synthetic
poisons that could be absorbed into the bloodstream by contact with the user's
skin. · Many
organic cotton products are also free of irritating or damaging colors and
dyes. ·
Additionally, you acquire the peace of mind associated with being a part
of a global solution toward sustainability. Negatives of NOT using
organic cotton: · Eighty-four
million pounds of pesticides were sprayed on the 14.4 million acres of
conventional cotton grown in the · Over 2.03
billion pounds of synthetic fertilizers were applied to conventional cotton the
same year (142 pounds/acre), making cotton the fourth most heavily fertilized
crop behind corn, winter wheat, and soybeans. (USDA) · The
Environmental Protection Agency considers seven of the top 15 pesticides used
on cotton in 2000 in the United States as "possible,"
"likely," "probable," or "known" human carcinogens.
(EPA) · It takes
roughly one-third of a pound of chemicals (pesticides and fertilizers) to grow
enough cotton for just one T-shirt. (SCP) · On
chemical-use cotton farms, farmers are constantly exposed to synthetic
pesticides and fertilizers, endangering them and their families. · In developing countries, poor, untrained and ill-equipped farmers are often forced to deal with the most hazardous of chemical agricultural agents. |
