Quick Green Facts
Cotton is the world's most popular fiber. It represents about 40% of the textile production in the world. There are more pesticides and insecticides used to grow cotton then any other crop! Over 80 million pounds of chemicals are used each year on conventional cotton farming. This highly toxic process pollutes the soil, water, air, and wildlife habitats. Organic Cotton is produced and harvested without the use of any pesticides, chemical fertilizers, or genetically modified seeds.
More Eco-Info
 Cotton farming uses only about 3% of the farmland around the world but consumes 25% of all chemical pesticides and fertilizers. Conventional cotton uses an average of 2.1 pounds of chemicals per acre. China is the number 1 cotton producer with more than 7 million tons harvested last year. India and the United States each produce more then 5 million tons annually. In the United States alone, approximately 600 thousand tons of pesticides and chemical fertilizers are applied to cotton fields each season. To complicate matters, insects are quickly becoming resistant to recommended rates of pesticide application, and ever-increasing amounts are needed be effective. Cotton is a fragile crop, and growing it organically takes time and hard work. Consequentially organic cotton products tend to be higher priced then traditional cotton, but the benefits far outweigh the costs.
It's in our food
Cottonseed, which is rich in oil, and high in protein, can find its way into all kinds of foods. In addition to livestock feed, cottonseed can be found in all types of cookies, chips, and processed foods. This means that some of the most toxic pesticides out there are finding their way onto our supermarket shelves and dinner tables every day. Another good reason to support organic farming!
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