Organic Cotton: So what’s all the fuss about?

We are dedicated to using only the best materials for not only your little ones but also the planet. But what makes organic cotton so special?

Simply put, organic cotton is produced with environmentally friendly practices and adheres to ethical production standards. It is grown without the use of synthetic pesticides or fertilizers, relying instead on natural processes.

My to-do list is insane, so give me the headlines! What’s the difference between organic and conventional cotton? (sometimes marketed as ‘natural cotton’ so buyer beware!)

The primary difference is the farming practices. Conventional cotton relies on synthetic chemicals, which affect soil health, water quality, and biodiversity. Organic cotton farming, promotes biodiversity, enhances soil fertility, and reduces water consumption, making it the more sustainable option and our go-to choice!

But if you have the time to make a cuppa, let’s break it down a little more…

Water usage:

When conventional cotton is produced, farmers repeatedly use the same soil which degrades its quality and leads to unhealthy sprouts, requiring HUGE amounts of water irrigation. According to ‘The world counts’ it takes 2,700 liters of water to produce ONE conventional cotton t-shirt! Have you heard of the Aral Sea?  Once the 4th
largest lake in the world... No? Well, it’s no surprise as it’s virtually gone, mainly due to its use in cotton cultivation and has been labelled the planet’s worst environmental disaster by the UN.

Organic Cotton on the other hand uses 10% of the water footprint of “conventionally” grown cotton, as it just aint as dam thirsty!  This is because it’s grown on rotated soils, maintaining soil health and requiring a whole lot less water.

Sustainability Practices

Not only does conventional cotton use a whole lot of water, but it also pollutes it too as it’s cultivated using toxic pesticides and fertilizers. Remember the Aral Sea? These days, 43 million tonnes of pesticide-laden dust is blown into the air and the region suffers from the highest rates of throat cancer IN THE WORLD.

And that’s just in the region, everywhere conventional cotton is produced pesticides are rinsed away into our beautiful waterways … which you guessed it, we drink, and our kids play in.

If that wasn’t causing enough damage, conventional cotton energy consumption is also sky-high and contributes towards billions of kilograms of greenhouse gases every year.

But it’s not all doom and gloom, organic cotton bans the use of pesticides in its production, relying instead on natural methods to control pests and weeds, such as crop rotation, biological pest control, and manual weed removal.

Energy consumption is also substantially lower with 62% reduced energy demand for organic cotton. 

Plus, there is research that indicates that organic cotton production is a beacon of hope for lowering carbon emissions, due to its natural ability to remove carbon from the atmosphere and with low production of GHG emissions, it has the greatest potential to reduce the climate impacts of the apparel industry out of any of the available fibre types... well you don’t say!

Ethical practices

Conventional cotton farming has got a pretty bad rep… from utilising child labor, farmers that are not compensated fairly, working long hours and the glaringly obvious health risks.

On the other side, given organic cotton doesn’t use pesticides, farmers don’t have the negative health affects that come with using them and have a greater amount of production opportunities including growing food crops, giving them more control over their income and livelihood. Certified organic production (such as GOTS) also ensures safe working environment, fair wages and no child labour.

Clothes made from non-organic materials can be home to harsh chemicals and unsafe toxins, using organic cotton ensures you are not exposing your kiddos to any of these nasties that could cause skin irritations or allergic reactions. For this reason, if your child suffers from sensitive skin, organic cotton is a fantastic solution. 

Certifications essentially give reassurance you’re buying authentic organic cotton.

There are loads of certifications out there but the two big ones within cotton are the Global Organic Textile Standard (GOTS), which we are proud to use at SUNNY FOLK, and the Organic Content Standard (OCS).

GOTS is the worldwide leading textile processing standard for organic fibers. There are not only strict environmental requirements for the standard (no nasties here please!) but also strict social criteria (including working conditions and labour standards are assessed and verified throughout the supply chain and backed up by independent third-party certification).

There are LOAD of different certifications out there, so if you really want to geek-out it helps to do your research as not all are created equal! Refer here If you want to check out more on certifications.

Finished your tea? We better sum up...

Organic cotton is responsible for increased skin health, fewer negative impacts on this beaut mama earth and greater control and quality of life for farmers. So when you make an organic cotton purchase (from us, or any brand) you are driving the change!