Don’t know if you should choose organic cotton? Here’s why…
Bet you didn’t know that the shirt you wear or the bed sheet you sleep on could end up killing you…slowly! Most people opt for cotton apparels because of the simple belief that ‘natural’ is best. What they don’t know is that there is nothing natural about the way cotton is processed and spun into the beautiful, soft and comfortably deceiving products we trustingly slip into everyday.
This is exactly why the ‘go organic’ movement began in the first place–to secure our health and that of our children. You must have noticed how parents around you have suddenly shifted to buying organic cotton baby clothes, diapers and baby blankets, apart from themselves switching to organic cotton clothes, bath wear, bedding, mattresses, bags and even underwear.
Here are 3 advantages of organic cotton that will surprise you.
1. It benefits you. Really: Typically, cotton is grown and cultivated with the help of harmful synthetic pesticides, fungicides, herbicides and defoliants (chemical sprayed or dusted on plant to remove its leaves). These chemicals, used in copious amounts, are inevitably absorbed by the cotton, but that is still not the end of it. During processing, it further undergoes treatment aided by bleaching, dyeing, scouring, softening, flaming and soiling. The chemicals used here could easily have an adverse effect on chemically sensitive skin and/or create distressed breathing.
On the other hand, organic cotton is produced through safer and natural techniques, which also ensure that the products last five times longer. Many also believe that organic cotton is much softer and perfectly matched to the softness of baby skin.
2. Environment friendly: Gone are the days when cotton used to be grown through sustainable methods. Although the conventional crop is cultivated over less area, it is one of the most heavily fertilized crops known to man and is responsible for not only ruining soil, but also poisoning water and affecting surrounding wildlife. Organic cotton cultivation, through simple methods, does not pollute the environment and has a much lower carbon footprint.
3. Save the farmer: All health benefits to us as consumers aside, cotton farming has proved to be most harmful to the health of farmers. Thousands of farmers across developing countries lose their health, and eventually their lives, due to the heavy exposure to chemicals used in the conventional production of cotton. With organic cotton, farmers and their families can safely reap the benefits of the crop.
In Addition, there are studies that have revealed that producing organic cotton tends to be cheaper than genetically modified (Bt) cotton as the latter is more prone to getting infected. This also ensures that the root of the supplier chain, our farmers, can breathe easy even if their crops fail.
The organic cotton movement has also found the support of many clothing businesses, including Nike and Gap, which is testament to its popularity and actual benefits it presents–of sustainability, comfort and health.
Photo Credits: Ethically Sustained
