As promised, and just under the wire for my end-of-March deadline, this morning I spent a bit of time looking carefully into the world of organic vs. conventional cotton. I discovered that this world is not terribly complicated (I guess I expected to find lots of pros and cons in both directions which would necessarily result in a post packed with nuance as we worked to fully grasp both sides of such a complex issue. I mean, nothing is straightforward in this world, right?).
Well, my findings can pretty much be summed up thusly:
Organic cotton = good.
Conventional cotton = very, very bad.
Deep stuff, I know.
Truly, the only strike I could find against organic cotton is that it would fail in the thought-experiment of converting all the world’s cotton production to organic. It’s not sustainable in that sense–you couldn’t actually meet the current global demand for it with the time and labor needed to make it happen. I think it’s safe to say, however, that no one is considering stopping all current production of cotton and exchanging it for organic.
Meanwhile, conventional cotton production is riddled with environmental sins, most of which I learned about here and here: 1) it requires far more water than organic, 2) it accounts for 25% of the world’s insecticide-use and 10% of its pesticide use, 3) these chemicals kill everything else in the soil, meaning the nutrients to make it grow then have to be added in the form of artificial fertilizers, 4) it exposes its human harvesters to dangerous and carcinogenic chemicals, and 5) these same chemicals remain on the cotton even after many washings, so that you get the fun of wearing them around on your body for years.
The practice of growing cotton organically is basically the exact opposite. No chemicals, no fertilizers, less water, healthier soil, incorporates beneficial plants and insects to protect the cotton, and so on and so forth. At the same time, it can probably be assumed in most places that the labor practices used to harvest organic cotton are better. At the very least the workers are not breathing in toxic chemicals day in and day out, and at best they are also working on a small, family-owned farm where they might have a shot at earning at living wage. (Additionally, many of the makers of cotton clothing are worker-owned co-ops, etc.)
The verdict? If you really want to make the green choice when buying cotton products, you’ll go organic every time.
My suggestion on making such a choice economically viable (since organic cotton is more expensive in most cases)? Buy fewer new things, and try to get the rest secondhand, since the environmental impact of secondhand clothes is arguably zero, too. (You can also keep your fingers crossed that the former owner washed the item enough times to remove at least some of the chemical residue!)
If you have further information about organic cotton, please share with us. And if you have a favorite organic store/supplier, please post that too! I have used KidBean and Natural Clothing Company (whose customer service and personal touch are awesome!).
Next month: Local vs. organic produce: If you can only buy one or the other, which should it be?
