Do we really know the facts about Organic Cotton? We are happy to share this valuable information starting with the history, production, processing, uses and why it is so much better to choose Organic Cotton.
Once you understand the facts, supporting the Organic cotton farmers & fairtrade practices will be more natural to you and your family.

What is Cotton?

Cotton is a soft fiber that grows around the seeds of the cotton plant. The fibers are spun into thread and used to make a soft, breathable textile. Cotton is a valuable crop because only about 10% of the raw weight is lost during processing. Cotton fiber is strong, durable and absorbant.

Did you know that cotton covers 2.5% of the world's cultivated land yet uses 16% of the world's insecticides, more than any other single major crop.

The History of Cotton

Cotton has always been used to make very fine lightweight cloth, mostly in areas with a tropical climate. It is likely that the Egyptians had cotton as early as 12,000 BC, and evidence found of growing cotton in Mexican caves which date back to approx 7,000 years ago. More evidence found, shows that people in South America and India domesticated different species of cotton thousands of years ago. From the early 16th century, cotton became known as an "imported fiber" in northern Europe. People there were only familiar with animal fibers such as wool and did not know what to make of this plant-based fiber. By the end of the 16th century BC, cotton was cultivated throughout the warmer regions in Africa, Eurasia and the Americas.

Organic Cotton Production v Conventional Cotton Production

For crop to be considered organic, the production must meet a set of changes that must be made to field and farming practices. Organic fields must go through a cleansing period of 3 years, without using any prohibited substances, before planting the first organic crop. Fields must also be equipped with barriers to prevent contamination of organic crops from polluted crops near by. Producers must promote their soil fertility through cultivation practices as well as maintaining & improving the overall condition of the soil to minimize soil erosion.

Conventional cotton production relies heavily on chemicals such as fertilizers and insecticides, to fight of the destructive boll weevil. Seeds are modified with the Bt gene, which some say escape into the wild and threaten butterflies. The environmental consequences of the elevated use of chemicals in the conventional cotton growing methods consist of:

High levels of agrochemicals are used in the production of conventional cotton. It uses more chemicals per unit area than any other crop and accounts in total for 16% of the world's pesticides.

The Chemicals used in processing cotton pollute the air and water.

Chemical residue may irritate consumers' skin, especially young, thin skin.

The use of pesticides decreases biodiversity and shifts equilibrium of ecosystems.

Cotton processing

After the cultivation period, cotton is harvested, and goes through several processes. Prior to processing, there are 3 stages; ginning, spinning, and weaving. Following the weaving stage, the cotton fabric passes through several processing stages, depending on the potential specific use, then the fabric can be directly used in the final product.

Benefits

Organic baby products are being substituted for conventional baby care items in order to reduce the amount of chemical exposure for rapidly developing infants.

We use certified organic cotton because the baby skin is thinner than adults and subsequently is more open to absorb these chemicals as the skins' open pores absorb any toxin in the environment, people with allergies and a skin sensitivity especially, benefit from organic cotton clothing, as conventional cotton may retain harmful toxic residues.

Disadvantages

Organic Cotton products are more expensive to produce and get certified hence they are mostly priced higher than conventional products. while prices have been declining over recent years, the reasons the cost of certified organic products remain higher than conventional products are limited supply compared to demand, greater labour and transportation costs per unit produced.

The many advantages of the use of organic cotton is clear, and that is why we at My Munchkin choose to use 100% organic cotton in all our products.