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| Organic cotton crop |
The raw material of an average T-shirt, cotton, is considered the world's dirtiest crop due to its heavy use of insecticides and fertilisers. Cotton covers 2.5% of the world's cultivated land yet uses 16% of the world's insecticides, more than any other single major crop.
Up to 99% of the world's cotton farmers live and work in developing countries, two thirds coming from India and China. Between them they are responsible for handling US$ 2 billion of agrochemicals every year; US$ 819 million of which are toxic enough to be classified as hazardous by the World Health Organisation (1). Three of the ten most commonly used chemical insecticides in cotton production have been classified as acutely hazardous - all but one of the remaining seven are classified as moderately to highly hazardous (2). These insecticides are commonly used in developing countries without any of the safeguards, regulations or
protection expected in the West.
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| This farmer's loading up with a fiery solution of chilli and garlic to spray his organic cotton crop - a natural pesticide |
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| This guy might not be sporting a mask but he could do with one - spraying his cotton with synthetic fertilisers |
Nitrogen synthetic fertilisers are considered the most detrimental to the environment, causing leaching and run-off to fresh water habitats, drinking wells and the oceans (3). These fertilisers are a major contributor to increased N2O emissions, which are 300 times more potent than CO2 as greenhouse gas (4), which is ominous for global warming as synthetic fertilizer use is forecast to increase roughly 2.5 times by mid-century (4).
Insecticide use has decreased in the last 10 years with the introduction of genetically modified (GM) crops, the fastest adapted yet most controversial new technology in the history of agriculture. As of 2008, GM cotton already commands 34% of total cotton cropland and 45% of world cotton production. However, Monsanto, a leading company in the field of biotechnology who have been promoting the benefits of genetically modified crops for some time, have revealed that a common insect pest, the pink boll worm, has developed resistance to its flagship genetically modified product in India. These findings have given critics of bio-technology evidence to back up claims that 'super bugs' will develop, hyper resistant to man-modified crops and more destructive than their predecessors.
Benefits of Organic Cotton
Organic cotton is grown using methods and materials that have a low impact on the environment. It is grown without the use of toxic and persistent pesticides and synthetic fertilisers. Organic production systems replenish and maintain soil fertility and build biologically diverse agriculture. Third-party certification organisations verify that organic producers use only methods and materials allowed in organic production.
Organic cotton farmers have reported significant improvement to their lives. As well as now working in a far less hazardous environment their profit margins are, for the most part, larger allowing them to educate their children and pay for better health services.
So it is clear that buying organic cotton T-shirts not only benefits yourself, it also benefits the planet and helps the farmer who grows the raw ingredient in the field.
Sources:
1) EJF. (2009). The deadly chemicals in cotton. Environmental Justice Foundation in collaboration with Pesticide Action Week UK: London, UK.
2) EJF. (2007). The deadly chemicals in cotton. Environmental Justice Foundation in collaboration with Pesticide Action Network UK: London, UK.
3) 5) Kramer, S. B., Reganold, J. P., Glover, J. D., Bohannan, B. J. M., & Mooney, H. A. (2006). Reduced nitrate leaching and enhanced denitrifier activity and efficiency in organically fertilized soils.
4) Tilman, D., Cassman, K., Matson, P., Naylor, R., & Polasky, S. (2002). Nature (418), 71-677.
