Why buying Organic and sustainable
clothing makes such a difference.
Cotton uses approximately 25 percent of the world’s insecticides and more than 10
percent of the pesticides (including herbicides, insecticides, and defoliants).

Eighty-four million pounds of pesticides were sprayed on the 14.4 million acres
of conventional cotton grown in the U.S. in 2000 (5.85 pounds/acre), ranking
cotton second behind corn in total amount of pesticides sprayed, according to the
US Department of Agriculture.

Over 2.03 billion pounds of synthetic fertilizers were applied to conventional
cotton the same year (142 pounds/acre), making cotton the fourth most heavily
fertilized crop behind corn, winter wheat, and soybeans.

To put these numbers in perspective, it takes roughly one-third of a pound of
chemicals (pesticides and fertilizers) to grow enough cotton for just one T-shirt.

The Environmental Protection Agency considers seven of the top 15 pesticides
used on cotton in 2000 in the United States as “possible”, “likely”, “probable” or
“known” human carcinogens (acephate, dichloropropene, diuron, fluometuron,
pendimethalin, tribufos and trifluralin).




Organic Fibers
Dress Yourself and Your Home in Style with a Conscience
by Wendy Priesnitz    
Although environmentally and health conscious consumers have traditionally
favored natural fibers – primarily cotton – over synthetic clothing, cotton is one
of the most environmentally unfriendly crops grown. But a new organic fiber
industry that is rapidly developing across North America will help solve the
problem of what to wear. Consumers now have their choice of a growing selection
of clothing, bedding and other products made from organic cotton, wool, linen,
hemp and flax.  

“Apparel and home textile products made with organic fiber demonstrate a
growing commitment by manufacturers to the environment and acknowledge the
growing sector of environmentally conscious consumers,” says Katherine
DiMatteo, executive director of the Organic Trade Association (OTA), which
represents the organic industry in North America.  



Hemp
Hemp is another burgeoning natural fiber industry. Hemp, which can be grown
without herbicides or pesticides, has been used for centuries in household linens
and work clothes because its fibers are four to six times stronger than cotton. It is
now making a comeback and the U.S. Department of Agriculture has recently
started advocating the use of hemp clothing for all landscaping workers because
of its natural hypoallergenic properties.  

Cotton
Of all organic fibers, organic cotton appears to have caught on the fastest. Well-
known international clothing manufacturers and small businesses alike are
incorporating organic cotton into their apparel, with sales currently growing at
close to 40 percent a year. In addition, organic cotton appears in a variety of
personal hygiene products, home furnishings and more, an industry that expects
its sales growth to average 67 percent a year.

As a result of increasing interest in organic cotton, it is estimated that over
12,000 acres of organic cotton are now grown in the U.S. In 2000/2001,
approximately 6,000 metric tons (slightly more than 14 million pounds) of
organic cotton were grown in 12 countries, according to the Pesticide Action
Network of the United Kingdom. However large these numbers may seem, they
represent just 0.03 percent of worldwide cotton production. Internationally,
Turkey and the United States are the largest organic cotton producers.
We can all make a difference for the future by supporting organic farmers and
sustainable practices. Every little step brings us closer to a better future for our
children and our planet.