Organic Cotton Farming
Conventional cotton is the 2nd most pesticide-saturated crop in the world and one of the most environmentally destructive. Ninety percent of production involves the use of synthetic chemicals. It takes one-third of a pound of pesticides and fertilizers to make one cotton t-shirt. Seventy percent of conventional cotton farmers use GMO seeds and treat them with fungicides and insecticides.
Synthetic fertilizers and herbicides are added to the soil to kill weeds, five of which are probable carcinogens. Aerial spraying of these chemicals drift onto farm workers, neighboring wildlife and communities. They runoff into our water, cannot be eliminated by water treatment centers, and end up in our city water systems. Residues of these chemicals have been found in human amniotic fluid, breast milk and fatty tissues. Several pesticides used in the United States are proven carcinogens. Toxic chemicals are even used at harvest.
Pesticides, insecticides, fungicides and fertilizers block the natural balance of the skin by trapping heat and preventing it from breathing and absorbing adequate moisture. They can cause rashes, eczema and asthma. Softeners and brighteners like bleach, formaldehyde, heavy metals, and ammonia are used in the finishing process of conventional cotton and a scientific link has been proven between these toxic chemicals and cancer, endocrine disruption and even reproductive disorders. California cotton fields are blanketed each year with more than 17 million pounds of pesticides.
Stop supporting factory farms and corporate agribusiness.