{"id":7260,"title":"Why buy organic cotton?","description":"Find out why people say that it is important to buy organic cotton instead of other cotton - is it really better for the planet?","content":"<p><strong>We are sometimes asked what it is that makes organic cotton better than non-organic cotton - what are the benefits? In this blog we take a look at the main reasons why we only use organic cotton in our products, and why this matters to our planet and to the way we all live together on this earth.<\/strong><\/p><p><img src=\"https:\/\/images.teemill.com\/aMWEnqmFG88B3HpgKkMl2Q4fmcox3A2PFZZoGwrO1nCTPIBi.jpeg.jpg?w=1140&h=auto\" alt=\"\" title=\"59442248\" \/><br \/><br \/><\/p><p>Many of us don\u2019t think much about how are clothes are produced. We just put them on and do what we can to make sure that they suit us and make us feel good. But if we want to have a planet that is able to sustain all of us going forwards, we do need to think about it a bit more.<\/p><blockquote><p>39% of people say that whilst they care about the environment, it\u2019s never occurred to them that their clothes might have an impact.<\/p><\/blockquote><h3>If you are only here for a short read:<\/h3><p>Organic cotton is a sustainable choice which means it is better for the health of the planet and the health of people. If you buy organic cotton you are helping to:<\/p><ul><li><p>Fight climate change<\/p><\/li><li><p>Preserve scarce water<\/p><\/li><li><p>Reduce the use of hazardous synthetic pesticides and fossil-fuel based fertilisers which can damage ecosystems, people and animals<\/p><\/li><li><p>Support the farmers and help them feed local communities<\/p><\/li><\/ul><p>If you have a bit more time, let's look at that in more detail...<\/p><h3>What is cotton?<\/h3><p>All cotton starts off as a plant in a field, where the fluffy white clumps looks like little dollops of cumulus nimbus cloud. After it is picked and spun, it is woven into the hugely popular material that makes up more than half the clothes sold in the UK.<\/p><p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.masterclass.com\/articles\/what-is-cotton#what-is-cotton\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Cotton<\/a> has many benefits as a fibre but unfortunately most produced is not organic, and that is bad news for the planet and also for human health. Traditional cotton has been called the \u2018world\u2019s dirtiest crop\u2019.<\/p><p>But there is some good news about organic cotton.<\/p><h3>What does it mean if something is organic? What is organic farming?<\/h3><p>Organic farmers work with Nature, rather than against it. The health of the soil is seen as paramount and they use biologically-based systems to grow crops, rather than chemicals.\u00a0<\/p><blockquote><p>Healthy soils store carbon and help to combat climate change.<\/p><\/blockquote><p>Organic farmers know their crops will be better if they have a healthy productive soil. And this is why they use effective\u00a0 composting, efficient nutrient recycling, frequent crop rotations and they grow other crops which are beneficial to their farming.<\/p><h3>How do organic farmers control pests and weeds?<\/h3><p>When it comes to pests and weeds, organic farmers look to manage them, rather than get rid of them completely. This helps to protect a healthy and balanced bio-diverse environment which in turn means that pests such as insects, birds or other living things are less likely to do any serious damage to their crops.\u00a0<\/p><blockquote><p>Non-organic cotton farming alone is responsible for 16% of all insecticides sold worldwide.<\/p><\/blockquote><p>Instead of toxic pesticides which damage the environment, poison waterways and put workers in danger, organic farmers use natural methods to control pests and diseases. They may use biological pesticides (eg neem oil or sprays made from garlic or chilli) rather than dangerous synthetic ones. and consider beneficial predator insects to help control less helpful pests. They also use methods such as rotating crops and intercropping (planting different types of plants together which benefit the eco-system). The crops grown alongside the cotton also provide local communities with an easily accessible and diverse food supply and can bring in additional income.<\/p><p><img src=\"https:\/\/images.teemill.com\/EAZIvX0NlF576zWghkOZ5sBuGSMORjtLrmVrzkR1quVd9aef.png.jpg?w=1140&h=auto\" alt=\"\" title=\"59442178\" \/><br \/><br \/>A further benefit of farming organically is that genetically modified (GM) seeds are not allowed so there is no pressure on farmers to bow to the requirements of a few dominant GM companies. Instead, farmers maintain independence and work with nature, taking a longer-term approach to ensuring sustainable eco-systems.<\/p><p>Organic farmers also focus on the efficient use of irrigation water and mulches, and more traditional weeding tools such as hoes, all to ensure the soil is kept in a good condition and weeds are managed.<\/p><h3>How is organic cotton harvested?<\/h3><p>At harvesting time, organic cotton is often hand picked which means less waste and means there is no need to use large machines which compact the ground and damage the soil. There is also no need to use herbicides to make picking easier as they do for non-organic harvesting. This in turn avoids chemicals polluting ground water systems with repercussions for the environment.<\/p><h3><img src=\"https:\/\/images.teemill.com\/DvCwobnCxWwl5xvhprXyFJZexcEZIp27dNL4eoXOVqCKsgaJ.jpeg.jpg?w=1140&h=auto\" alt=\"\" title=\"59442747\" \/><br \/><\/h3><h3>What happens to cotton waste products?<\/h3><p>Cotton is made up of approximately 40% fibre and 60% seed (by weight). After the 'ginning' process, when the fibres have been separated for making into textiles, the by-products are turned into cottonseed oil and other items which are used as important foodstuffs for animals and for people where the oil, high in protein, is used in various processed foods.<\/p><p>With non-organic cotton, the pesticide residues from the cottonseeds can end up in meat and dairy products. Nice.<\/p><p>On the other hand, organically grown cotton can be used to produce organic food products for people and animals without the risk of the same nastiness.<\/p><h3>How else is organic cotton better for the planet?<\/h3><p>Water scarcity is likely to be a serious issue over the next ten years or so. It has been identified by the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.weforum.org\/reports\/the-global-risks-report-2020\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">World Economic Forum<\/a> as one of the top ten global risks to society.<\/p><p>Cotton tends to be grown in developing countries which face water shortages, not helped by climate change and traditional farming methods. More than 20% of water used to\u00a0grow non-organic cotton is used to dilute the hazardous fertilisers and pesticides so they can be added to waterways and this usually requires extracting water from the ground which may put unhelpful pressure on local water supplies.<\/p><p>But it's a better story with organically produced cotton. With organic cotton farming, the healthy soil acts like a sponge, soaking up flood water, which helps in times of no rain. Most organic cotton is grown in rainy areas, so farmers can rely on rain to water their cotton and of course, because they don't use nasty pesticides and fertilisers, they don't need lots of water to dilute them before disposing of them. The organic cotton for our products is grown in North India, where monsoons supply almost all the water needed.<\/p><h3><img src=\"https:\/\/images.teemill.com\/uxevqbplvgZW3uW0Hs5kEioDox5hQra6U6oPj01DdXJWf8zP.png.jpg?w=1140&h=auto\" alt=\"\" title=\"59442464\" \/><br \/><br \/>How do I choose the best organic cotton t-shirts?<\/h3><p>While there are a number of different types of sustainable cotton available, the Soil Association advises that if you want to be sure that you are buying cotton that is grown in a truly sustainable way, certified organic cotton is best.<\/p><blockquote><p>\"Organic is the only system which eliminates highly toxic substances from the environment and instead works holistically, for the long-term benefit of people and the planet.\"<\/p><\/blockquote><p>If you want to buy cotton clothing or anything else made of cotton, look for certified organic cotton. Our material suppliers have <u><a href=\"https:\/\/www.global-standard.org\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">GOTS<\/a><\/u> (Global Organic Textile Standard) certification which means our supply chain is audited to ensure safe, positive and fair working conditions and pay. All of our products are GOTS compliant and our supply chain is <u><a href=\"http:\/\/www.sa-intl.org\/index.cfm?fuseaction=page.viewpage&amp;pageid=1689\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">SA8000<\/a><\/u> (Social Accountability Audit) certified.<\/p><h3>What next?<\/h3><p>Read more about our <a href=\"https:\/\/goathouse.co.uk\/blog\/sustainable-sourcing\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Goathouse Commitment to Sustainability.<\/a><\/p><p>Take a look at <a href=\"https:\/\/goathouse.co.uk\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">our range of certified organic cotton t-shirts, tops and bags<\/a>.<\/p><p>Read more about the importance of organic farming at the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.soilassociation.org\/organic-living\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Soil Association <\/a>website.<\/p><p><img src=\"https:\/\/images.teemill.com\/Gg5bgYmshWPw9x8NFelREyJFpQidm4eehYxLcLlx4P6sGOYF.png.jpg?w=1140&h=auto\" alt=\"\" title=\"59442373\" \/><br \/><br \/><br \/><\/p>","urlTitle":"why-buy-organic-cotton","url":"\/blog\/why-buy-organic-cotton\/","editListUrl":"\/my-blogs","editUrl":"\/my-blogs\/edit\/why-buy-organic-cotton\/","fullUrl":"https:\/\/goathouse.co.uk\/blog\/why-buy-organic-cotton\/","featured":true,"published":true,"showOnSitemap":true,"hidden":false,"visibility":null,"createdAt":1599317629,"updatedAt":1605110854,"publishedAt":1599589955,"lastReadAt":null,"division":{"id":26497,"name":"Goathouse"},"tags":[{"id":365,"code":"sustainability","name":"Sustainability","url":"\/blog\/tagged\/sustainability\/"},{"id":387,"code":"goathouse","name":"Goathouse","url":"\/blog\/tagged\/goathouse\/"},{"id":511,"code":"products","name":"Products","url":"\/blog\/tagged\/products\/"}],"metaImage":{"original":"https:\/\/images.podos.io\/GgGGyBlqiXd2USrPSdtnp9u7YOMSIwlpH8F3vf3ldPMafXyU.jpeg","thumbnail":"https:\/\/images.podos.io\/GgGGyBlqiXd2USrPSdtnp9u7YOMSIwlpH8F3vf3ldPMafXyU.jpeg.jpg?w=1140&h=855","banner":"https:\/\/images.podos.io\/GgGGyBlqiXd2USrPSdtnp9u7YOMSIwlpH8F3vf3ldPMafXyU.jpeg.jpg?w=1920&h=1440"},"metaTitle":null,"metaDescription":null,"keyPhraseCampaignId":null,"series":[],"similarReads":[{"id":1981,"title":"Our Commitment to Sustainable Sourcing","url":"\/blog\/sustainable-sourcing\/","urlTitle":"sustainable-sourcing","division":26497,"description":"At Goathouse, we have put responsible sourcing at the heart of our business to help ensure minimum impact on the planet - find out more ...","published":true,"metaImage":{"thumbnail":"https:\/\/images.podos.io\/5dd6bebbd98750.36846411.jpeg.jpg?w=1140&h=855","banner":"https:\/\/images.podos.io\/5dd6bebbd98750.36846411.jpeg.jpg?w=1920&h=1440"},"hidden":0},{"id":2105,"title":"Gift Guide for Food & Drink Lovers, Travellers & Active People","url":"\/blog\/gift-guide-for-foodies-travellers\/","urlTitle":"gift-guide-for-foodies-travellers","division":26497,"description":"Find a gift that\u2019s a bit different this Christmas ...","published":true,"metaImage":{"thumbnail":"https:\/\/images.podos.io\/5de91434ce32a8.73310781.jpeg.jpg?w=1140&h=855","banner":"https:\/\/images.podos.io\/5de91434ce32a8.73310781.jpeg.jpg?w=1920&h=1440"},"hidden":0},{"id":2107,"title":"Gift Guide for Followers of Current Affairs, Optimists & Pessimists","url":"\/blog\/gift-guide-for-followers-of-current-affairs\/","urlTitle":"gift-guide-for-followers-of-current-affairs","division":26497,"description":"People in your life interested in current affairs or campaigning?  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