organic farmingFor our range of organic t-shirts and tops choosing organic cotton means higher quality products that are softer, kind to skin, better for the environment and the people that make them. Organic cotton, is made from GMO-free plants that are grown without the use of any synthetic agricultural chemicals like fertilizers or pesticides. Organic cotton is better for the environment, the climate and the people involved.Unfortunately, less than 0.1% of global cotton production is Organic.
Cotton uses more chemicals per unit area than any other crop, accounts in total for 16% of the world's pesticides, uses 20'000 litres of water per kilogram of cotton yield and ruins the lives of the farmers trapped in cotton poverty. There are lots more reasons to move away from conventional cotton and shop organic instead. Organic Cotton production involves replacing the synthetic pesticides and fertilisers with natural ones, then using crop rotation and mixed planting to encourage biodiversity. This means less synthetic chemicals in the ecosystem, which is more important than it might first seem. Cotton growing is responsible for the release of over US $2bn of chemical pesticides each year, nearly half of which are considered toxic by the WHO. Cotton is often grown in poor countries where chemical handling equipment and training is non-existant. As a result, an estimated 1-5 million cases of pesticide poisoning occur every year, resulting in 20,000 reported deaths among agricultural workers. Organic means less poverty, more biodiversity, security of supply, stable climate and better quality. Cotton growers who make the transition to organic practices expect not only to offer a healthier and cleaner product, but also to command a higher, more stable price. Nitrogen fertiliser is a source of emissions in conventional textile crop farming. To produce just one tonne takes one tonne of oil, seven tonnes of Co2 and one hundred tonnes of water. Organic farmers work with nature to feed the soil and control pests. By choosing organic, We.Our Future has a carbon footprint at product level well below the EU 20:20 targets set out for UK businesses. Imagine if every shopper - followed by every shop - made that switch. |