Throughout the years, I have bought a lot of clothes, never wondering about the effect my purchasing had on the world or the environment. It wasn´t until I started working for fafu that I started reading up on organic materials and more importantly, what effect non-organic materials can have on me, the person manufacturing the product, and the environment.
One of the most polluting industries in the world is the conventional cotton industry. Conventionally grown cotton uses huge quantities of chemicals and fertilizers. As an example, it is estimated that 50% of all pesticide used in India is sprayed on the cotton fields. This has a dramatic negative effect on the environment and to the health of farm labourers who are exposed to the chemicals.
Cotton can however be successfully grown without pesticides by enrolling the help of insects and fungi that attack the cotton pests. That´s how organic cotton is made.
So why doesn´t everybody use organic cotton? I´m not really sure, but my guess is that the main reason is higher cost, less production capacity and slower growing.
But if you think about the real cost of non-organic cotton, I think it will turn out to be much higher than the cost of organically grown cotton, given the effect the chemicals and pesticides have on the environment, consumers, and farm labour. Furthermore, child labor is often associated with the traditional production of cotton.
So what can we as consumers do? Look for environmental, organic or fair trade labels on the clothing we are thinking to purchase. It used to be that only small, specialized stores carried clothing made from organic cotton, but today you should be able to find them in many mainstream clothing stores. Here you can find a list of the most common eco-labels on textiles: Eco Labelling.Org
I will leave you with a short documentary on organic cotton. I hope you find it as informative as I did.
Moral Fibre – Organic Cotton
Part 1:
Part 2:
I wish you a nice and organic weekend! 
Thorunn
(photo credit: Wonder Mike)