Cotton bolls ready for harvest, Wikipedia
Some time ago, we covered the topic of organic vs. conventional cotton on Green Cotton with great interest. Due to the popularity of this post, we’d like to revisit the issues with some fresh facts and perspectives.
Though the organic cotton market continues to grow every year, with more and more farmers converting part or all of their farms to organic, the overall market remains extremely small, especially when compared to the overall cotton industry (less than 1%). With this in mind, the following post aims to shed renewed light on the scope of the global cotton market and the extent to which it is utilizing pesticides, insecticides and water among other resources.
Photosource: Treehugger (ad by Cotton, Inc. for Cotton made in the USA)
Cotton is a Major World Crop
• Cotton is grown on 76 million acres world-wide, representing approximately 2.4% of global arable land.
• Cotton is grown in over 100 countries with an estimated 50 million farmers globally. China, United States, India, Pakistan, Uzbekistan and West Africa account for over 75% of global production.
• Cotton has a deep history in human civilization and has been a staple crop for hundreds of years, being spun, woven, and dyed since prehistoric times. According to wikipedia, “cotton clothed the people of ancient India, Egypt, and China. Hundreds of years before the Christian era cotton textiles were woven in India with matchless skill, and their use spread to the Mediterranean countries.”
• Between 40%-47% of the world’s textiles are made from cotton, equaling a $ 334 billion industry as of 2004. However, certified organic cotton represents a mere .1% of the cotton grown in the world.
Cotton is One of the Most Pesticide-Intensive Crops in the World
• Over 90% of cotton production involves the use of synthetic chemicals and cotton accounts for 22.5-25% of insecticides used worldwide and 8-10% of total pesticides.
• In the U.S., 25% of all pesticides used are for cotton. Pesticides, herbicides and insecticides contaminate waterways and ecosystems and cause health problems among workers exposed.
• Up to 1/3 of a pound of chemicals including pesticides are needed to produce enough cotton for a t-shirt, and 3/4 of a pound for a pair of jeans.
Conventional cotton production also uses various synthetic chemicals in the finishing and dying process, all of which potentially leak into surrounding eco-systems, affect workers and may ultimately be absorbed into wearers’ skin.
• According to the World Health Organization (WHO) as stated on wikipedia, 20,000 deaths result each year from pesticide poisoning in developing countries, many of which are due to cotton farming.
• Cotton also absorbs more water than most crops. It can take more than 20,000 litres of water to produce 1kg of cotton; equivalent to a single T-shirt and pair of jeans. 73% of global cotton harvest comes from irrigated land.
With the above in mind, it is increasingly important to consider the implications of buying or choosing organic cotton vs conventional.Though organic cotton is typically more expensive, it is arguably more reflective of the actual costs of growing and producing cotton in a sustainable manner. In addition, the more demand for organic cotton there is, ultimately the greater the supply and the prices will go down (like we saw in the food industry with organic milk and other products).
While organic cotton still requires a lot of water (as does conventional), is definitely a step in the right direction. Given the thousand year + history of cotton in culture and society, it is doubtful that we will give up this crop anytime soon. As such, the more we can grow, harvest, spin, dye and finish the fiber in a responsible and sustainable manner, the better off we will be now and into the future.
Primary sources used for this post include Organic Exchange, World Wildlife Federation (WWF) and Wikipedia.
The facts speak for themselves, conventional cotton production is not only responsible for the loss of thousands of lives, but impacts millions more.
Hemp, the “standing silent nation” as the Lakotas call it, has tens of thousands of uses, from superior textiles and cosmetics to biodegradable plastics. It is environmentally friendly, requiring no pesticides, little water and fertilizer and no herbicides. It controls erosion, produces huge amounts of biomass and oxygen, and replaces trees in making not just paper products, but building materials.
The day will come very soon when hemp will become as common as other natural resources. We who understand this and try our best by becoming activist and writing our political leaders. By demanding action to right this wrong we are not only helping humanity we are helping ourselves. Hemp makes common sense but for economic reasons too and environmental reasons HEMP IS GOOD FOR US AND OUR COUNTRY. I sell Organic and hemp clothing at http://www.apronstore.com/hempaprons.htm GO HEMP GO!