Growing Organic Cotton: Respecting Our Health and the Environment

This article will explore the lifecycle of conventional cotton and organic cotton, from the sowing of the seed to a finished fabric, along with the impact each is having on human health and the environment.  Through comparison we will uncover the practices in conventional cotton farming that are destroying our environment and its inhabitants, and show how organic cotton farming is promoting heath and stability.

The cotton plant is grown in over 80 countries worldwide and uses approximately 2.5% of the Earth’s cultivated land.  The cotton fiber is the world’s most widely cultivated and produced natural fiber and is used in everything from clothing and personal care products, to the mattresses we sleep on.

1 - The vast use of cotton has pushed the agricultural community to produce up to 24.8 million metric tons of conventional cotton annually. 

2 - Organic cotton is being produced on a much smaller scale, in approximately 22 countries by 220,000 farmers; producing up to 175,113 metric tons annually.

3 - Cotton is used in most of the products we sell at The Natural Sleep Store.  From organic bedding, to organic mattresses, cotton is our most used material.  Due to the popularity of cotton, it is important to look at the practices used throughout the lifecycle of the plant.