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Check out what is and what are the advantages of organic cotton

Organic cotton is produced based on the principles of organic agriculture, which tends to be better than conventional ones, as it does not use pesticides and pesticides - which reduces the damage caused to the soil, the environment and human beings. Thus, there is a lot of criticism of conventional agriculture for providing food that can be harmful to health, but what about agricultural products that are used to make clothes, such as cotton? It may not be edible (cotton candy doesn't count; that's just sugar) but conventional-type crops can still cause damage. That's why there is an alternative, organic cotton.

• What is organic agriculture?
• Organic urban agriculture: understand why it's a good idea

But what is organic cotton? What are its advantages and benefits? Below are some important questions about this alternative cotton.

Which is

Conventional cotton crops can be extremely aggressive to the environment, animals and farmers, as they are the ones that most use pesticides in the world - as this is an inedible product, many think that it is okay to overdose on pesticides. . But all this causes about 250,000 farmers to get sick each year around the world.

• Environmental impacts of textile fibers and alternatives

Organic cotton cultivation is a solution to reduce environmental impact. A study (based on producers in the top five countries that top the world's largest organic cotton growers - India, China, Turkey, Tanzania and the USA) shows that, compared to conventional cotton growing, there are large reductions in: consumption water, gas emissions, acidification, eutrophication and primary energy demand. Conclusion: the production of organic cotton proved to be 46% less instigating global warming than conventional cotton.

Not to mention that the entire organic sector is inspected for its certificate. Even in Brazil, this certification is carried out by an agency certified by the International Federation of Organic Agriculture Movements (IFOAM; in Portuguese, International Federation of Organic Agriculture Movements).

Advantages over conventional

The cultivation of organic cotton preserves the health of the soil thanks to the use of the crop rotation system (alternating the same space with another species so that soil nutrients do not run out), discarding the need for synthetic fertilizers - which explains its lower water consumption.

• What are fertilizers?
• The risks of heavy metals present in fertilizers

There is no use of pesticides, as pests are fought with the inclusion of beneficial predatory species or with another type of plant that is more attractive to these insects; and weeds are removed by hand and pesticides are discarded.

With all this, more people are needed to work, creating more jobs and better training workers. The model has a fairer relationship between all workers who participate in production (it's called fair trade) in comparison with the common production that, even today and in many parts of the world, uses semi-slave labor.

In Brazil

The production and commercialization not only of cotton, but of organic agriculture as a whole, are still small in the country, but it is gradually gaining ground in the Brazilian market. And, just like any other type of ecological planting in the world, it has its economic and environmental benefits, while maintaining a work ethic.

According to a scientific article, in Brazil, organic agriculture tends to be a family business, often run by small farmers who have attended higher education (not that this is strictly necessary; it is just a feature that stands out in this environment).

Most of the national organic cotton agriculture is found in the Northeast of Brazil, in the semiarid region. And it is in Campina Grande (PB) that it stands out because of its great development.

Conscious consumption

There are already textile industries changing their manufacturing processes and using ecologically correct raw materials (sustainable fibers, such as organic cotton) as one of the ways to reduce pollution. Even in the fashion industry, some brands have already adopted the use of this sustainable material in their pieces.

It is important that industries, in order to maintain this sustainable path, not only use organic cotton, but also increasingly seek other alternatives that dispense with the use of chemical products during the weaving process.

When it comes to common cotton, both at the beginning of the weaving process, when the fibers are washed, and in the dyeing process, there is the introduction of toxic residues that are later released and, if the appropriate safety measures are not taken , can be harmful to health (cause allergies or even skin cancer) and further pollute the environment. And these substances will keep coming out with every wash you do of your clothes or if you start to sweat or get wet, and can even irritate your skin. If it can irritate an adult's skin, imagine a child's? And what about a baby's skin, which is practically five times thinner than an adult's?! A newborn's body can absorb these toxins much easier.

Organic clothes, on the other hand, are free of toxins - that is, anti-allergenic -, not harming sensitive skin. It is much better (and logical) to dress a baby in clothes made from organic cotton and avoid contact with the toxins that were used to grow regular cotton.

In the organic fabric production process, only natural dyes are applied for dyeing. But what are they? The color is sought from natural pigments from tree bark, leaves and roots, which can give more vivid tones to the garments produced. This practice has been increasingly developed so that there are more color options. However, it is necessary to keep an eye on this, as it may be that the cotton is organic, but the color may originate from some chemical substance; to stay on the ecological path, industries must use paints without heavy metals on any clothing, whether jeans, dresses, pants, skirts, shirts or shirts - always pay attention to certification.

The water used in industries during production is reused and treated. This reduces water waste and environmental pollution.

When buying regular cotton clothes, take into account how much water and energy has already been expended for your cultivation and how much more you will spend to wash your clothes. Also think about whether the clothing is imported; even if it is from a neighboring country, there is a large emission of gases just to transport these parts. There is no point in encouraging global warming if you have an alternative product. Choosing organic cotton is not only a form of sustainable consumption, but also of health. To learn about other sustainable attitudes towards textile consumption, take a look at the article: "What is slow fashion and why adopt this fashion?".