What is "organic cotton?" Organic cotton is grown using methods and materials that have a low impact on the environment. Organic production systems replenish and maintain soil fertility, reduce the use of toxic and persistent pesticides and fertilizers, and build biologically diverse agriculture. Third-party certification organizations verify that organic producers use only methods and materials allowed in organic production. Organic cotton is grown without the use of toxic and persistent pesticides and synthetic fertilizers. In addition, federal regulations prohibit the use of genetically engineered seed for organic farming. All cotton sold as organic in the United States must meet strict federal regulations covering how the cotton is grown.
How much organic cotton is grown globally? According to the fourth annual Organic Exchange Farm and Fiber Report 2009, organic cotton production grew an impressive 20 percent over 2007/08 to 175,113 metric tons (802,599 bales) grown on 625,000 acres (253,000 hectares). Organic cotton now represents 0.76 percent of global cotton production.
Organic cotton was grown in 22 countries worldwide with the Top Ten producer countries led by India and including (in order of rank) Turkey, Syria, Tanzania, China, United States, Uganda, Peru, Egypt and Burkina Faso. Approximately 220,000 farmers grew the fiber.
Other Organic Fibers include: hemp, wool, cotton, kapok, silk, buckweat/millet hulls. The article below gives a great overview of organic fibers and fabrics. Here is an excerpt:
Introduction to Organic Fibers
Source: Christine ChamberlinBy now, you may know about the benefits of eating organic food and supporting organic agriculture. But did you know that many of the crops that produce the fibers used to make our clothing and home wares—often those we sleep in every night—account for some of the highest pesticide usage? In fact, it takes roughly one-third of a pound of chemicals (pesticides and fertilizers) to grow enough cotton for just one T-shirt, which is why it is important to consider organic cotton and other fibers.
Surround yourself with the beauty and comfort of fibers pure and clean, just the way nature intended. You’ll help protect our fragile ecosystem and support small farming communities around the world.
Nature’s fibers have kept humans comfortable for thousands of years. Archeologists determined the first remnants of cotton existed about 4,000 years ago.
Silk has a rich history of over 3,000 years. Pillows made with buckwheat hulls have been used in Asian countries for centuries to eliminate stiff necks, shoulder pain, and headaches.
It was only after WWII and the introduction of dangerous fertilizers and pesticides that fiber crops, like food crops, became treated with chemical toxins with damaging effects on the environment and farm workers who raised the crops.
Thankfully, as consumers become more environmentally aware, the growing demand for organic fibers is now on the rise. In 2003, organic fiber sales in the United States grew by 22.7 percent over the previous year, to reach $85 million, according to the Organic Trade Association's 2004 Manufacturer Survey.
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