Organic cotton baby clothing is made from cotton grown without pesticides or chemical insecticides. It is also made from cotton plants which have not been genetically modified.
I believe that organic cotton is best for clothing for environmental and humanitarian reasons and I also believe organic cotton clothing is best for a child’s sensitive skin, particularly those who suffer from eczema, like my youngest daughter.
When non-organic cotton is produced, more chemicals are used per unit area than any other crop – accounting for 16% of the world’s pesticides (”Picking Cotton Carefully,” Institute of Science in Society, March 2007).
These harmful chemicals cause water and air pollution, polluting the land, killing plants and animals, and causing illness and even death for farmers and workers.
The World Health Organisation (WHO) estimates that 20,000 deaths occur in developing countries each year from poisoning by agricultural pesticides used on crops, of which many, due to their relative toxicity, can be attributed to cotton. In Benin in West Africa, 24 people died as a result of poisoning from cotton pesticides in 2000 – this included 11 children under the age of 10. (Information from The Soil Association – UK)
Growing organic cotton without chemicals means that not only is it safer for the workers and farmers who grow and harvest the crops but the land is not damaged by over use of chemicals and the farming is more sustainable in the long term.
Organic farming uses crop rotation on the farmland and natural fertilisers instead of chemicals and artificial fertilizers. Biological pest control (using one species to eat the species destroying the crop), is used instead of harmful chemical alternatives.
As well as being better for the environment, organic cotton is often bought directly from the farmer or a local co-operative. This means a fairer deal and more income from the crop for those who farm it.
Around 150 g of pesticides and fertilisers are used to grow the cotton for just one T-shirt – this is the equivalent of a cup of sugar (Soil Association).
However, when you chose to buy organic baby clothes you are helping to reduce this chemical cocktail on our planet. ??In addition to the environmental and health benefits of choosing organic cotton there is also the fact that it feels so much nicer next to your skin. The cotton fibres are longer and you can feel the soft, luxurious quality.
