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Why is organic better? One big reason is that organic products like cotton use resources better. Take water for instance. Conventional cotton is a thirsty crop that sucks seas dry (literally). Since January of this year cotton production is estimated to have used 62 billion tons of water. Not only that, but a lot of that water is contaminated through pesticide use. In fact, pesticide use is so extreme that one major cotton farming region has the highest rates of throat cancer in the world due to water contamination. At the other end of the spectrum is organic cotton. Its water footprint is estimated to be 10% of conventional cotton’s. Part of this lower water use is connected to the fact that pesticides and other synthetic chemicals are never used on organic cotton farms. Instead, most organic cotton farms can rely on rain and groundwater.
As conscious consumers it’s always important to consider the resources used to make the items that we buy. It gives us a better understanding about why one item is considered more sustainable. And, it can emphasize the importance of supporting ethical brands or buying less. In the end, you’ll make a better choice when it comes to buying your favorite pair of slow fashion sustainable jeans.
Conventional Cotton’s Water Use At A Glance
When we look at a t-shirt, one of the last things that we think about is its water use. Actually, it’s easy to never think about how much water it took to make our clothes at all. But, the reality is that thousands of gallons of water are used and even larger amounts are contaminated just to make one cotton garment. Here is a quick glance at the water use from cotton production.
- 70% of earth’s fresh water is used for agriculture production.
- 3% of the water used for agriculture production is for growing cotton.
- 5,283 gallons of water is estimated to be used to produced 2.2 pounds of cotton.
- 85% of India’s population of 1.24 billion people could be supplied with 100 liters of water daily with the water used to grow their cotton exports.
- The 4th largest sea in the world– the Aral- has shrunk to half its size in 40 years because of cotton farming.
How Is Organic Cotton Different?
While conventional cotton relies on the quick fix of pesticides, fertilizers and other chemicals, organic cotton farming focuses on techniques that better protect the land in the long run- crop rotation, green manures and composting. Toxic chemicals are not used and this can further protect soil and local water resources. Unfortunately, despite its sustainable accolades, organic cotton only accounts for 1% of all organic cotton production. Here’s a look at a few statistics about why organic cotton is better than conventional.
- Uses 91% less water.
- 46% fewer greenhouse gas emissions since the soil isn’t loaded with pesticides and can actually absorb CO2 from the atmosphere.
- 26% lower soil erosion
- 98% reduction of water pollution since synthetic chemicals aren’t used.
- 95% of water used to grow cotton is rain or ground water.
- 1,982 gallons of water saved for the average sized t-shirt.
These facts are only a quick assessment about how conventional (or chemical) cotton differs from organic cotton. You can click the link for a more in-depth look at the reports, studies and interviews with experts that further explain why organic cotton is better. But, as conscious consumers even having a few facts on hand can help us make better buying decisions and better understand our impact in the long run.