Let Farmers Decide

Cotton : A Hero or Villain

Introduction:

Cotton is wonderful versatile and globally important fiber. Versatility, softness, breath-ability, absorbency, year-round comfort, performance, and durability are just a few of the qualities that have earned cotton its popular status. We all love the feel of fresh cotton sheets on the bed, soft cotton balls in the bathroom and light cotton clothes in the summer.

Cotton evokes images of white, fluffy purity and many people think of cotton as being a natural, pure fabric. In conversations, “natural clothing” is sometimes used to refer to organic clothing. Natural fiber clothing simply refers to clothing made from fibers found in nature, such as cotton, wool or hemp, which may not be grown or manufactured under conditions which would allow them to be certified as organic.

Health Hazards caused by Cotton

• Five of the top nine pesticides used on cotton are cancer-causing chemicals (cyanazine, dicofol, naled, propargite and trifluralin).

• 50% of cotton workers in the 1990s suffered symptoms of chronic pesticide poisoning, including neurological and vision disorders.

• 91% of male cotton workers exposed to pesticides eight hours or more per day experienced some type of health disorder, including chromosomal aberrations, cell death and cell cycle delay.
• 1987 National Cancer Institute Study found a nearly seven-fold higher risk of leukemia for children whose parents used pesticides in their homes or gardens.

• The World Health Organization estimates that at least three million people are poisoned by pesticides every year and 20-40,000 more are killed.

• Endosulfan – known to have killed nearly 40 people in one season, in one area, in one country.

• Monocrotophus – causes paralysis in children who live in close proximity to cotton crops.

• Aldicarb – one drop can kill an adult and yet it is the second most commonly used pesticide for cotton.

• The dyeing and printing of conventional cotton fabrics often use compounds of iron, tin, potassium, VOCs and solvent-based inks containing heavy metals, benzene, and organochlorides that require large quantities of water to wash out the dye residues.  This waste water is polluted by these heavy metals.  The toxic residues found in the waste water can cause problems of the central nervous system, respiratory system, and skin, as well as head-aches, dizziness, and eye irritations.

Pesticides not only disrupt the balance of nature in the field, but also harm people

who come in contact with them. Conventional cotton production has created

serious problems for human health and the environment in all cotton-growing

regions worldwide.

Organic Cotton Facts

• Organic Cotton is the purest form of cotton. It is grown without the use of Pesticides, Fungicides, Herbicides, Sewage Sludge, Irradiation or Genetic Engineering.

• Instead of these toxic chemicals, Organic Farmers use natural alternative methods and tools to  enhance soil quality and biodiversity and protect the air and water on which we depend.

• To ensure its high quality standards, Organic cotton has to be certified by an accredited independent organization, which verifies organic methods are used to cultivate the cotton.

Organic Cotton Benefits

Overview of Organic Cotton benefits are as follows:

• • 100% Eco-Friendly
  • The natural, chemical-free process drastically reduces soil and water pollution.
  • A natural soft feel quality
  • Far more absorbent than Fluff pulp used in Sanitary Hygiene Products.
  • Hypoallergenic. It does not cause any Allergy or irritation when it touches human skin.
  • Provides all the quality and texture expected from cotton products.
  • Feels good on your skin and good on your conscience.
  • Babies and children are most vulnerable to the health risks related to pesticides.

Using Organic Cotton products reduces their exposure to toxic pesticides during

the most sensitive developmental stages of life.

• • Encourages biodiversity by controlling pests with friendly insects rather than

1. multiple applications of toxic chemicals. It has been estimated that pesticides

unintentionally kill at least 67 million birds in the US each year and it’s likely

they kill many more.

Conventional cotton prices do not reflect the hidden costs we pay including billions of dollars in subsidies, pesticide regulation, hazardous waste disposal and overall environmental damage.

Conclusions: Organic Cotton is better to the environment then conventional cotton

About the Author:

Ms. Sulekha Ojha,
Deptt of Garment Production & Export Management
International College for Girl’s, Jaipur

Article Source: ArticlesBase.com - Cotton : A Hero or Villain