Organic. Period.

Traditional cotton farming in the US now uses 25% of ALL chemical pesticides used. It is the most pesticide dependent crop in the world, with over 50 million pounds of pesticides used per year in the US. That figure comes from the USDA. The chemicals are ruining the soil and polluting our watersheds.

One way to grasp this amount of chemical pesticide used in cotton production is to picture one t-shirt. It took 1/4 pound of chemicals to produce the cotton for that t-shirt.

Organically grown cotton is becoming more and more popular with consumers, and farmers are answering the demand. Besides no chemical pesticides, organic cotton is processed without harsh chemicals and bleaches. Natural fertilizers and soil building efforts are used, as well as organic pest controls like introducing ladybugs.

Dyes used for cotton fibers are all harsh chemicals. This is a problem that organic clothing manufacturers are working to correct. There are now varieties of colored cotton grown, where the color of the fiber is the color it is on the plant. No chemical dyes are needed. This is a new technology, and its successful use and development will be dictated by consumer demand. For now, color-grown cotton comes in browns, reddish brown, green, and yellow. The fibers are very soft, and the colors do not fade but get deeper when washed. Production costs for this color-grown cotton are 20 – 40% less than traditionally raised cotton.

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