Even when they are available, getting them to farmers in developing countries where most cotton currently comes from is a challenge, as is building the capacity of these farmers to be able to go organic farming and receive necessary certifications … the timeliness of payment and market access … the risk of investment made by the farmer … [are all] challenges [organic cotton is having] in growing its market share and making a strong business case for companies to shift to organic …  Companies can’t just purchase more organic cotton; they need to work with suppliers to ensure both quality and transparency along the entire chain. And these are some pretty damn harsh chemicals we’re talking about. Lesser Negative Impact On The Health Of Humans Who Work In, Or Have Exposure To Cotton Related Industries (Farms, Processing Factories, & So On) – Especially in developing countries, cotton farm workers can be exposed to pesticides and other agricultural chemicals. So they basically keep the crop away from any man-made evil and let it grow as naturally as possible. Lesser Chance Of Pesticide Resistant Pests Developing, and Secondary Pests Developing – Synthetic pesticides might cause pesticide resistant pests to develop after consistent or repeated exposure to the synthetic chemicals. When more people are eco-conscious, it is a hot trend that fashion goes green. Also, organic cotton crops can’t be genetically modified. Read more in this oecotextiles.wordpress.com resource about organic cotton vs conventional cotton, and organic farming vs conventional farming, in relation to greenhouse gases, energy requirements (to synthesize nitrogen fertilizers and so on), carbon storage in soil, and the impact of cover crops and animal manure on carbon sequestration in soil. Many allergies may be caused by chemicals in cotton fibers we either wear, or sleep on. When buying textiles, your choices if you want to be sustainable may be more than just organic or non organic cotton. It’s hypoallergenic, so it won’t cause irritation for people with skin issues and sensitiveness, and people with asthma are safe to wear it too. Reduced Use Of Plant Growth Regulators – Per sourcingjournal.com: Chemically intensive agriculture, especially in irrigated systems, push the ecosystem year-on-year for higher yields, … “This requires the use of an ever-increasing amount of chemical inputs, including growth regulators.”. swedishlinens.com: It takes 2700 litres of water to produce one cotton t shirt …, 1 billion people don’t have access to freshwater and 2.4 billion people suffer from inadequate sanitation. The Best Kids Organic Cotton Pajamas. Can Be Some Short Term Risk For Farmers & Those Along The Supply Chain In Converting To Organic – because of factors like uncertainty, increased labor and regulatory costs, and so on. And honestly, if it was only about less global warming or more, we would have a much easier time deciding between the two types of cotton. Per business-ethics.com: Conventionally grown cotton also uses large amounts of nitrogen-based synthetic fertilizer—almost a third of a pound, says the OTA, to grow one pound of raw cotton … Researchers have found that the fertilizers used on cotton are the most detrimental to the environment, running off into freshwater habitats and groundwater and causing oxygen-free dead zones in water bodies. Since they adopted genetically modified Bt cotton, India has been producing twice as much cotton from the same land area with 65% less insecticide. Per frankandoak.com:  Conventional cotton might involve … soil loss due to single cultivation [and] organic cotton might involve … good soil maintained through crop rotation. However, from now on, I’ll only buy GOTS certified organic cotton so I can be sure it was dyed organically. These pros and cons could be useful for example when comparing organic cotton to conventional cotton, but also other fibres, and materials. But all of its disadvantages come from it not being genetically modified. Per sourcingjournal.com: With organic cotton, the potential for soil erosion drops 26 percent. But sadly, this question is not as black and white as we think. So, there are many variables for individual cotton production processes, materials, products and companies. in dying, bleaching and printing etc. What is organic cotton? This is why we love organic cotton. One study found that the average organic yield of cotton was 25% lower than conventional. Organic cotton doesn’t solve all our problems yet, we should know that. But I also want to look more into the sustainability of GM cotton. It can certainly be harmful to the workers’ health. And how far cotton travels before it winds up in your closet should factor into the environmental equation too. Also Per qz.com: The main environmental concern with water use relates to irrigation, especially in countries such as India, struggling with water scarcity. That’s because conventional cotton has been genetically engineered for that purpose. Organic cotton produces around 46% less CO2e compared to conventional cotton. Less Water Pollution – there’s also the chance of less water pollution overall – from decreased leaching of synthetic chemicals, and from decreased pesticide drift of synthetic pesticides. The cotton might have been grown organically, but might have been dyed with all the extremely toxic chemicals, and it can still harm your skin when you think it wouldn’t. A 2001 study on organic cotton farming efficiency conducted in Greece, showed that organic farms produced only 73% of the yield of those of a conventional farm and 86% of the revenue. The buyer can then determine themselves if they are satisfied by that. Per fashionhedge.com: More recently, a study … titled Comparing the yields of organic and conventional agriculture revealed that – The average organic-to-conventional yield ratio from our meta-analysis is 0.75 … that is, overall, organic yields are 25% lower than conventional. What to watch out for: Make sure to read the package carefully to see exactly what you’re getting. Conventional cotton, as well as organic, requires an enormous amount of water. And it’s not necessarily your fault, but you should know that they might be tricking you into buying things. This run off can cause water pollution, acidification, eutrophication, damage to wildlife and a range of other issues. Especially with all the conflicting info that I’ve found online, it looks like the different sides are all pushing their agenda and it’s difficult to find out what the real numbers are. Per qz.com: It will take you about 290 gallons of water to grow enough conventional, high-yield cotton to produce a t-shirt … To grow the same amount of organic cotton for a t-shirt, however, requires about 660 gallons of water. Organic cotton products are softer than regular cotton because of the longer fibers. So if we want to compare the sustainability of organic cotton and regular cotton, we might add the environmental cost of deforestation it can cause. Per fashionhedge.com: Organic agriculture is less efficient, meaning that the same amount of resources produce a lower volume of product, compared to traditional farming. 1 tonne of conventional cotton fiber produces 1.8 tonnes of CO2e. Cotton fertilizers are manufactured and perfected for decades to give the plant the exact nutrients it needs. Less Greenhouse Gas Emissions, Less Energy Intensive and Smaller Carbon Footprint – Per sourcingjournal.com: organic cotton is 46 percent less harmful to global warming [and] organic cotton can reduce demand for energy by as much as 62 percent. Because they know you’re a good person, and you want to do your best, and if they sell organic clothes that’s great, isn’t it. Per qz.com: There’s some evidence to suggest that certain organic pesticides can be worse for the environment than conventional ones. Less Synthetic Chemicals Used In Leaf Removal – Per frankandoak.com: Conventional cotton might involve … leaves removed by toxic chemical defoliant … [but] Organic cotton might involve … removal of leaves and weeds through freeze drying and water. Water use? And they are not only affecting cotton workers you barely care about, but also you, your family, your friends, and everyone who wears clothes. At least I know I didn’t have at that time. The cotton fibres can shorten when exposed to water during a wash cycle, which results in the material shrinking. The problem is even worse in developing countries with uninformed consumers, and lack of stable institutions and property rights. A Danish study compared the environmental impact of different carrier bags, and found organic cotton bags have to be used 20,000 versus 7,000 times for regular cotton bags, to have the same environmental impact as plastic bags across a range of environmental indicators. Per qz.com: Conventional cotton varieties have a higher yield, meaning a single plant will produce more fiber than its organic counterpart. But opting out of some of these cookies may have an effect on your browsing experience. Cotton fabric is not colorfast, so the dyes in these clothes can fade in the washer and dryer. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. Important social impacts identified in this study were capacity building and strengthened communities, through training and institution building. Unless your organic-cotton garment is certified under a program such as the Global Organic Textile Standard, it is near impossible to guess whether the dyeing processes used were organic or not. This may be true in some instances, but, not all organic cotton is grown and produced the same way, and the quality of cotton and how it feels can be influenced by the climate/temperature in which it’s grown, how long it grows for and where it’s grown. Environment-Friendly. This is a big disadvantage if using it in professional clothing such as dress shirts, trousers and dresses where a neat appearance is expected. Use of pesticides and fertilizers? You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. So far, organic cotton sounds awesome, and you don’t understand why would anyone buy regular cotton ever again. A major disadvantage of cotton is that the clothing will shrink when washed, even if it is preshrunk. Might Use More Water (& Contribute To Water Scarcity) – If organic cotton does actually use more water either in total, or per pound of cotton produced, then this consumption contributes to water scarcity if that consumption comes mainly from irrigated water (which could be depleting groundwater and other freshwater sources) and not renewable rainfall sources. Per swedishlinens.com: GOTS certified organic cotton for example places and emphasis on social/ethical cotton – where workers have access to a safe and fair work environment … About 100 million households are engaged in growing and producing cotton and 300 million people work in the cotton sector as a whole … The majority of [non-organic] cotton farmers and workers live in developing countries, work extremely long hours, are exposed to poisonous substances daily and earning very little in wages … In fact, many of them have unsustainable debts because they are unable to keep up with employer demands. dying, bleaching and printing, Less synthetic chemicals used in leaf removal, Less toxic runoff into freshwater sources and the ocean, Less GHG emissions, less energy intensive and smaller carbon footprint, Better crop diversity and no monocultures, Better soil health, soil water retention and less soil erosion, Lesser impact on wildlife and their habitats and ecosystems, Lesser negative impact on the health of humans who work in, or have exposure to cotton related industries (farms, processing factories, and so on), Possibly better and fairer working conditions and rights for cotton farm workers, Potentially steadier and better pay for cotton farmers, Saving of fresh water resources and less contribution to water scarcity, Lesser reliance on non natural resources and inputs, which can increase independence for farmers, Crop yields can be good in some instances, Overall, organic farming seems like a sustainable practice and sustainable system, Some people experience that organic cotton can be softer than regular cotton, Might use more water in total, and contribute to water scarcity if that water is unsustainably being withdrawn and used, Some reports indicate organic cotton can have lower yields per plant, or per area of land, With lower yields, organic cotton can use more land or be less land efficient, Might go against some sustainability objectives (relating to lack of efficiency with use of resources like water, land, energy and so on), Lack of efficiency and lack of yield can lead to less revenue produced per square area of land, More labor might have to be used and it might be more intensive labor, and might be more time intensive, The conversion process in converting to an organic farm can be slow, Certification can take time and there is some maintenance involved, Can be some short term risk for farmers and those along the supply chain in converting to organic, Can struggle to meet demand, increase market share, and other costs can creep in, Consumer awareness for organic cotton may be lagging, The market for organic cotton is currently smaller comparatively to regular cotton, Organic cotton can be more expensive at the consumer purchase level, Doesn’t currently have the subsidisation protection regular cotton does in some countries, Some think that GMO seed benefits outweigh the risk, Some natural or organic pesticides can be as harmful as synthetic ones, For items like shopping bags, organic cotton can be worse environmentally than regular cotton. 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