There are quite a few options these days when it comes to fabrics. You can choose from bamboo towels for the bathroom and even coconut fiber linens. These trendy items sound alluring and, honestly, pretty expensive. There may be some really great reasons to consider these items, but before you hand out your hard-earned money, consider this: organic cotton products have a proven track record when it comes to those things that make newer, trendy fabrics seem so appealing. Take a close look at the “green” nature of organically-grown cotton.
- Organic Farming Methods Offer a Chemical-Free Cotton Product
Some argue that cotton requires a great deal of chemicals to grow, but organic farmers are able to control weeds and pests with a variety of naturally-green methods. In fact, these farmers are often able to rehabilitate chemical-laden fields.
- Organic Methods Cost Less in Production and Health Costs
Because they don’t expose their employees and products to toxic chemicals often used in fertilizers and pesticides, farmers using organic methods have reduced costs when providing healthcare for their employees. Their production costs can also be kept comparatively low.
- Conventional Cotton Plants Use More Water Than Organic
Once farmers have established healthy soil in their fields, the intense irrigation needed for healthy plant growth becomes unnecessary. There may be an initial investment in watering needs as the fields transition from conventional to organic, but once the land earns its certified organic status, water usage decreases.
- GMOs Are Not Allowed
Genetically-modified crops occur much more often than most consumers realize. While those seeds sound pretty good on paper, the means of reaching those goals are pretty suspicious. How comfortable are you with the chemicals used to modify those seeds?
Farmers using organic methods to grow cotton are often dedicated to using methods that work with nature rather than against it. For the consumer who is concerned with their own effect on the environment, organically-grown cotton is the only real choice.
So the next time you’re out shopping, for t-shirts, sheets or anything else, think twice about which fabrics you choose. And buy organic cotton whenever you can.
