The Environmental Impact of using Organic Cotton vs Farmed Cotton

 Cotton is a widely used fibre in products such as clothes, towels, curtains, and sanitary products. However, the conventional way of farming cotton has a significant environmental impact. In recent years, organic cotton has emerged as a sustainable and eco-friendly alternative. In this article, we will discuss the differences between organic and farmed cotton and their environmental impact.

What is Organic Cotton?

Organic cotton is cultivated without the use of artificial agricultural chemicals such as fertilisers, insecticides, or transgenic technology. Organic cotton promotes biodiversity and organic cycles, which are useful for human health and the environment.

What is Conventional Cotton?

Conventional cotton, or farmed cotton, is grown with heavy amounts of insecticides, fertilisers, and other synthetic agrochemicals sprayed over them to obtain white fluffy cotton balls.

Differences between Organic Cotton and Farmed Cotton

Farming

Farmed cotton cultivation starts with genetically modified organisms (GMO) seeds treated with fungicides and insecticides. While organic cotton never uses treated or GMO seeds.

Water

Farmed cotton requires water many times more than an organic cotton land requires. Organic cotton uses rainwater or an irrigation system to grow.

Weeding

Regular cotton uses many fertilisers which are harmful to humans, animals, and the environment, while organic cotton uses natural cultivation methods.

 Carbon Dioxide Emission

Organic cotton emits lesser amounts of carbon dioxide than regular cotton farming.

Harvesting

Regular cotton is harvested with machinery and direct exposure to pesticides treated cotton balls causing many health issues, while organic cotton is handpicked.

Chemical Treated

After cotton is all grown, regular cotton is treated with harmful chemicals including ammonia, formaldehyde, heavy metals, and other dangerous chemicals which are hard on skin. While organic cotton does not undergo any chemical treatments.

Dyeing

Pure white coloured cotton is bleached and treated with chemicals, while organic cotton is pigment-free, bleach-free, pesticide-free, and hypoallergenic. 

Yarn Quality

Handpicked cotton fibres are longer and stronger than the cotton balls picked up with machines.

 Fair Trade Standards

Organic cotton sale is rising, and most certified cotton farmers are yielding organic crop. This helps the environment, cotton farmers, and the production and quality of cotton.

 Organic cotton has proven to be a sustainable and eco-friendly alternative to farmed cotton. Farmers yielding organic cotton crops not only benefit themselves but the ecosystem as well. Organic cotton has less water usage, reduces soil erosion, reduces carbon dioxide emissions, has no treated seeds, and great yarn quality.

The use of organic cotton is better for the environment, the cotton farmers, and the production and quality of cotton.