Ten Good Reasons to Join the Cleaner Cotton Campaign
1:: The bottom line
Large retailers are profitably incorporating organic cotton into their garments-either with one hundred percent substitution or by blending with conventional fibers.
2:: Proven business models
Patagonia in Ventura, California, and Nike, in Beaverton, Oregon are just two of the examples of companies who have pioneered the organic cotton market and are sharing
their expertise with the Cleaner Cotton Campaign.
3:: Consumer preference
Market analysts report that consumers expect corporate responsibility as a matter of basic business practices. Organic cotton is a great way to implement it.
4:: Forthcoming regulations
Possible bans on the most toxic agricultural chemicals, as well as potential regulations about labeling on genetically engineered products, point to the need to develop
sustainable, practical solutions for cotton.
5:: Quality product differentiation
Most consumers who care about the environment also care about quality; organic cotton fibers provide the opportunity for market differentiation, particularly among
companies with a high-quality brand image.
6:: Motivate the work force
Companies who have made the switch to organic cotton report that employees are inspired, motivated and energized by the challenge.
7:: Environmental leadership
Companies taking positions of environmental leadership are gaining market advantages.
8:: A Cleaner Approach
Each T-shirt made from one hundred percent organic cotton saves one-third of a pound of synthetic fertilizers and farm chemicals.
9:: An Industry Movement
The apparel industry stands poised to voluntarily raise its standards for materials by beginning to incorporate organic fibers into mainstream products.
10:: The farmers' daughters
Our farming and manufacturing methods can no longer compromise the environment we pass on to our children and grandchildren.
3/4 pounds of chemical fertilizers and pesticides:
Estimated amount of synthetic fertilizers and pesticides it takes to produce the cotton for a conventional pair of jeans
1:: The bottom line
Large retailers are profitably incorporating organic cotton into their garments-either with one hundred percent substitution or by blending with conventional fibers.
2:: Proven business models
Patagonia in Ventura, California, and Nike, in Beaverton, Oregon are just two of the examples of companies who have pioneered the organic cotton market and are sharing
their expertise with the Cleaner Cotton Campaign.
3:: Consumer preference
Market analysts report that consumers expect corporate responsibility as a matter of basic business practices. Organic cotton is a great way to implement it.
4:: Forthcoming regulations
Possible bans on the most toxic agricultural chemicals, as well as potential regulations about labeling on genetically engineered products, point to the need to develop
sustainable, practical solutions for cotton.
5:: Quality product differentiation
Most consumers who care about the environment also care about quality; organic cotton fibers provide the opportunity for market differentiation, particularly among
companies with a high-quality brand image.
6:: Motivate the work force
Companies who have made the switch to organic cotton report that employees are inspired, motivated and energized by the challenge.
7:: Environmental leadership
Companies taking positions of environmental leadership are gaining market advantages.
8:: A Cleaner Approach
Each T-shirt made from one hundred percent organic cotton saves one-third of a pound of synthetic fertilizers and farm chemicals.
9:: An Industry Movement
The apparel industry stands poised to voluntarily raise its standards for materials by beginning to incorporate organic fibers into mainstream products.
10:: The farmers' daughters
Our farming and manufacturing methods can no longer compromise the environment we pass on to our children and grandchildren.
3/4 pounds of chemical fertilizers and pesticides:
Estimated amount of synthetic fertilizers and pesticides it takes to produce the cotton for a conventional pair of jeans
Organic vs non-organic production of natural fibres
One of the most common natural fibres is cotton. To imagine our lives without cotton is like imagining our life without some of our staple foods eg wheat,
rice and corn. We tend to think of cotton as a natural fibre. Compared to synthetic fibres it is, but the vast majority of cotton fibre in the world is grown
using chemical farming practices. Cotton is one of the heaviest users of chemicals and water of any agricultural crop. To bring cotton to harvest, it is
heavily sprayed (8-10 times a season in extreme cases) with pesticides so poisonous they gradually render fields barren. It doesn't end there. To create
finished goods, cotton fabrics are often coloured with toxic dyes and finished with formaldehyde.
Chemical farming is not safe. It is not safe in the manufacture of the chemicals, in the use of the chemicals, nor in the eating or wearing of the end
products. The 1984 gas leak at the Union Carbide factory in Bhopal, India – which included chemicals used on cotton – illustrates the risks and pollution
that can and does happen during manufacture.
Cotton can be grown organically. Some farmers are making the change. The following are some reasons to support organically grown cotton.
Organic
Nonorganic
Living soil is the basis of the organic farm. It is enriched by compost and other organic matter
The soil is sterile with all microbial, plant and insect eliminated for the purpose of growing one plant.
Based on a concept that vigorous plants resist insect, weeds and diseases better than those under stress.
Based on a belief that feeding plants heavy dosages of synthetic fertilisers and eliminating competing species creates maximum yields.
Based on working with nature to create a diverse farm ecosystem to support optimal growing conditions.
Based on chemical herbicides, insecticides and defoliants to ward off insects, combat weeds and facilitate harvest.
Did you know:
1. Of all insecticides used globally, 25 percent are used in cotton production.
2. There are currently 400 pesticides on the market that have not been tested to determine if they cause cancer, birth defects or wildlife toxicity.
3. It takes 10 years to ban a pesticide in the USA using present procedures.
4. There are 107 active ingredients in pesticides that have been found to cause cancer in animals or humans.
5. Of those 107, 83 are still in use today.
6. There are 14 pesticides found to cause reproductive problems.
7. There have been 68 pesticides found in drinking wells in California since 1982.
Of the 496 pesticides identified as likely to leave residues in food, only 40 percent are tested by FDA routinely.
One of the most common natural fibres is cotton. To imagine our lives without cotton is like imagining our life without some of our staple foods eg wheat,
rice and corn. We tend to think of cotton as a natural fibre. Compared to synthetic fibres it is, but the vast majority of cotton fibre in the world is grown
using chemical farming practices. Cotton is one of the heaviest users of chemicals and water of any agricultural crop. To bring cotton to harvest, it is
heavily sprayed (8-10 times a season in extreme cases) with pesticides so poisonous they gradually render fields barren. It doesn't end there. To create
finished goods, cotton fabrics are often coloured with toxic dyes and finished with formaldehyde.
Chemical farming is not safe. It is not safe in the manufacture of the chemicals, in the use of the chemicals, nor in the eating or wearing of the end
products. The 1984 gas leak at the Union Carbide factory in Bhopal, India – which included chemicals used on cotton – illustrates the risks and pollution
that can and does happen during manufacture.
Cotton can be grown organically. Some farmers are making the change. The following are some reasons to support organically grown cotton.
Organic
Nonorganic
Living soil is the basis of the organic farm. It is enriched by compost and other organic matter
The soil is sterile with all microbial, plant and insect eliminated for the purpose of growing one plant.
Based on a concept that vigorous plants resist insect, weeds and diseases better than those under stress.
Based on a belief that feeding plants heavy dosages of synthetic fertilisers and eliminating competing species creates maximum yields.
Based on working with nature to create a diverse farm ecosystem to support optimal growing conditions.
Based on chemical herbicides, insecticides and defoliants to ward off insects, combat weeds and facilitate harvest.
Did you know:
1. Of all insecticides used globally, 25 percent are used in cotton production.
2. There are currently 400 pesticides on the market that have not been tested to determine if they cause cancer, birth defects or wildlife toxicity.
3. It takes 10 years to ban a pesticide in the USA using present procedures.
4. There are 107 active ingredients in pesticides that have been found to cause cancer in animals or humans.
5. Of those 107, 83 are still in use today.
6. There are 14 pesticides found to cause reproductive problems.
7. There have been 68 pesticides found in drinking wells in California since 1982.
Of the 496 pesticides identified as likely to leave residues in food, only 40 percent are tested by FDA routinely.
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