Conventional cotton growing and production has a series of health, social, and environmental effects. For example, over a third pound of pesticides are used to produce the average cotton t-shirt.  In the US, it is estimated that 800 million pounds of pesticides will be used on cotton this year.  These pesticides are washed out of soils, and pollute rivers and groundwater.  It should be noted that children (some as young as 6 years old) continue to be used in these cotton fields and production factories in the world's largest cotton producing countries, such as, China, India, Pakistan, and Uzbekistan (see Why Fairtrade).

Conventional cotton production also contributes to climate change.  The excessive application of nitrates to agricultural land leads to their being transformed into nitrous oxide, a greenhouse gas that is 300 times more destructive than CO2 in terms of global warming. 

Organic Cotton is cotton which is grown in fields which have been free of synthetic pesticides, herbicides, and fertilizers for at least 3 years.  It is produced according to the internationally recognized organic farming standards of the EU regulation 2092/91, of the USA National Organic Program (NOP), the Indian national Program for Organic Production (NPOP) or the Japanese Agricultural Standard (JAS). 

Organic items are cleaner, softer, higher quality, and the stiching is often much better.  Better for your child, better quality for you! 

Information provided by:  www.organicconsumers.org