The Benefits of Organic Cotton Clothing

Let's start at the beginning with an explanation of what organic cotton is. Simply, organic cotton is cotton that is grown on farms where no pesticides, insecticides, and/or any other chemicals are used. Organic cotton is grown completely naturally, or organically, on farm in much the same way that cotton was grown hundreds of years ago before chemicals like pesticides had been invented. For more info, take a look at what Wikipedia has to say....

Chemicals like pesticides are man-made toxic chemicals designed to kill insects, bacteria, and other "pests" that can threaten the development of a healthy crop. In the case of cotton, more chemicals are used to grow a field of cotton than any other crop. Given that over 26 million tons of cotton are produced throughout the world every year, that adds up to a lot of chemicals being used.

While the chemicals help to ensure that the cotton plant grows, they also work their way in to the soil and ground water where they can be harmful - especially year after year after year. Further, the chemicals end up in the cotton itself, which eventually becomes a t-shirt or pair of pants, meaning we're literally wearing those chemicals on our skin. Also, conventional cotton farming and production is normally not done in the most environmentally-friendly manner.

Here are some quick points/notes for why organic cotton is better than conventional cotton:

- It takes about one pound of chemicals to grow three pounds of conventional cotton - organic cotton takes none

- Most organic cotton producers also use and advocate the most energy efficient, chemical free, environmentally friendly manufacturing processes

- Organic cotton clothing wears better (lasts longer) than conventional cotton and is often more breathable than some "high-tech" synthetic materials.

- Over 26 million tons of cotton are produced annually throughout the world, representing 40% of the world's textile production. Cotton growers use over 10% of the pesticides used in the world and over 25% of the world's insecticides. Adopting the use of organic cotton could drastically reduce the amount of chemicals we produce and contaminate our environement with.

- Organic cotton clothing typically costs a bit more than non-organic cotton clothing, but the price is worth it. Soil used to grow organic cotton must be free from chemical contamination (pesticides, insecticides, etc.) for three years before it can grow truly organic cotton. Since organic farmers do not use chemicals to help ensure their success, they often have to work harder to sustain their crops. This added time and effort is often what accounts for the additional expense of organic cotton. However, as more and more people are beginning to use organic cotton, and prices will begin to come down. You can now find organic clothing for everyday wear as as well as a number of specialized activities such as organic cotton yoga clothing.

- Organic cotton fibers are longer and softer, making them more comfortable to wear

- Organic agriculture helps reduce the number of human carcinogens that enter our earth, water, and air. The EPA claims that seven of the fifteen most common pesticides used on cotton are "possible," "likely," "known," or "probable" human carcinogens.

- Organic cotton farming respects water resources as well. Producing organic cotton requires less water and the lack of chemicals used results in less chemical seepage, such as nitrogen, in to our water supply.