ORGANIC COTTONS

BY ANGELA AYUK

This Photo by Unknown Author is licensed under CC BY-SA This Photo by Unknown Author is licensed under CC BY-SA-NC
  Cotton is a staple fiber composed of cellulose that
is grown from a plant. It was discovered
WHAT IS thousands of years ago as no one knows the exact
date it was found. Cotton is used for making a
COTTON? variety of things that we own. It is also known the
most used fiber. Cotton is used in the making of
things ranging from clothing to home and
personal health care materials.
 USES OF COTTON
 Cotton can be used for a lot of thing, some of which
are:

 Clothing
 Underwear
 Home decorations
 Bed sheets
 Towels
 Cutips
 Cottonseed oil
CATEGORIES OF COTTON
 There are 2 categories of cotton

 Organic cotton: This is the type of

cotton grown without the use of any
pesticides or fertilizers.

 Conventional cotton: This cotton grows

with the use of synthetic agricultural
chemicals. This cotton grows from
genetically modified seeds.

This Photo by Unknown Author is licensed under CC BY-NC-ND

BENEFITS OF ORGANIC COTTON OVER CONVENTIONAL
COTTON.
 It limits water pollution: Because conventional cotton uses a lot of chemicals in the
growing of the cotton balls, it accounts for the excessive use of water which is then
contaminated by the variety of chemicals used in creating the genetically modified
cotton seeds. while organic cotton retains water from the soil as well as rainwater.
This brings about efficiency regarding the water process. Worldwide life says that
“Runoff of pesticides and minerals from cotton fields contaminates rivers, lakes,
wetlands and underground aquifers” it also goes on to say that “conventional
production practices for cotton involves the application of substantial fertilizers and
pesticides, and these pesticides threaten the quality of soil and water as well as the
health of biodiversity in and downstream from the fields”. When more organic
cottons are been produced, it cuts down water pollution and decreases the access to
conventional cotton, which limits environmental hazards.
  It keeps pesticides from the food supply: The article cotton and
BENEFITS OF pesticides say that “Biologist estimate millions of birds die
every year in the united states from the effects of agricultural
ORGANIC COTTON chemicals sprayed on cotton and other crops” (Cubie,2006) it
also says that “when runoff from a food supply contains high
OVER levels of pesticides, it can kill fish in nearby rivers and
CONVENTIONAL streams” (Cubie, 2006). The chemicals used in the food
production process are considered harmful to the human body
COTTON. hence should not be used in the growing of these crops. Even
though these chemicals are considered legal to use, it does not
make it good for our health.
 BENEFITS OF ORGANIC COTTON
OVER CONVENTIONAL COTTON.
 Conventional cotton growing is bad for the soil: The decrease in
the use of pesticides to grow artificial cotton brings about less
degradation of the soil and a healthier environment for the
cotton seeds to grow. When more organic crops are grown from
the natural soil, it limits the growth of conventional cotton and
keeps the soil free from contamination from harsh chemicals
used in the soil. When the soil is kept chemical-free, it creates a
safe environment for when the animals try to eat from the soil,
that way they feed on the soil, they are not harmed by the
chemicals in it. the good thing about the organic growing
method for plants is that it is not just the growing of plants, but
it is intended to replenish and provide nutrients to the soil so that
it stays viable for potential crops and not just the current crops.
BENEFITS OF  Increased knowledge on the damages of conventional
ORGANIC COTTON cotton: Most people are not fully aware of the damages
OVER that conventional cotton causes, and as a result of this it
limits their knowledge on the benefits of growing
CONVENTIONAL organic cotton.
COTTON.
 BENEFITS OF ORGANIC COTTON OVER
CONVENTIONAL COTTON.
 It prioritizes the health of the workers and farmers: Because of the pesticides that are
been used in the growing of conventional cotton, many workers and farmers are
prone to suffer from poisoning from these pesticides which could cause all kinds of
sicknesses to these people. Because conventional cotton is treated chemically,
chances of the chemicals getting other places are high, and this could cause the
workers to be exposed to these harmful toxins which could cause different kind of
sicknesses putting them at a huge health risk.
  Organic cotton is considered better for making
clothes: Because conventional cotton is made with
so many chemicals, these chemicals can sip into
BENEFITS OF ORGANIC our skin and it can be harmful to the skin and cause
skin irritation and diseases. But since organic
COTTON OVER cotton is grown naturally and has no added
chemicals, there is a low risk of any skin hazards.
CONVENTIONAL In the article importance of organic cotton, it says
“because organic cotton is processed naturally, it
COTTON. eliminates those chemical health hazards and even
provides natural health benefits such as
hypoallergenic regulating body temperature and
absorbing moisture.”
REFRENCES
 Cubie, D. (2006, February 01). Cotton and pesticides. Retrieved March 27, 2021, from
https://www.nwf.org/Magazines/National-Wildlife/2006/Cotton-and-Pesticides#:~:text=The%20reality%3A%
20Cotton%20is%20one,spread%20on%20those%20same%20fields
 Cotton. (n.d.). Retrieved March 27, 2021, from
https://www.worldwildlife.org/industries/cotton#:~:text=Production%20and%20processing%20of%20cotton,
evaporation%2C%20and%20inefficient%20water%20management
.
 Live Grund. (2019, August 12). Why organic cotton farming is a Safer practice. Retrieved March 28, 2021,
from
https://livegrund.com/blogs/organic-bed-and-bath/why-organic-cotton-farming-is-a-safer-practice#:~:text=Co
nventional%20grown%20cotton%20has%20been,toxic%20chemicals%20and%20synthetic%20fertilizers.&te
xt=Farmers%20applying%20chemicals%20and%20pesticides,exposure%20to%20these%20harmful%20toxin
s