EcoZeal

Cotton is a globally important fibre, providing returns to many small farmers in developing countries. But the downfall is that most cotton is produced in a way that causes great damage to the environment.
So serious are the negative impacts of chemical-intensive agricultural production, that momentum for change has grown considerably in recent years and there are signs that organic cotton is moving out of its niche market into the mainstream - with increased interest on the part of supermarkets and large companies.

The trend toward more environmentally friendly production methods is mainly due to enlightened companies under pressure of increased environmental regulation and competition, and so ethical companies are starting to move beyond selling organic cotton clothes to ensure that they are using environmentally friendly dyes and recycled materials with the minimum of packaging and literature.

However, in many African countries with lax environmental controls, farmers can apply nearly one-third of a pound of chemical fertilizers and pesticides for every pound of cotton harvested and some of these chemicals are classified as the most toxic around and the negative impacts can be severe.

To be truly organic, cotton begins with living soil - which means the soil has not had any chemicals used in it for at least three years, and it has been enriched with compost and other organic matter, replacing synthetic fertilizers that are harmful to the health.

Source: Ezine Seeker