Whats the problem with conventional cotton?
Growing conventional cotton is particularly rough on the environment. Cotton is the largest crop behind corn in the United States and consumes 10% of the world’s pesticides (that’s two billion pounds) and 25% of the world’s insecticides (that’s a lot!!!). Cotton growers typically use many hazardous chemicals including aldicarb, phorate, methamidophos and endosulfan. There are at least 20 types of organophosphate and carbamate pesticides, many of which were originally developed as toxic nerve agents during World War II. These chemicals harm people, wildlife and the environment. In addition, conventional cotton requires a tremendous amount of water to grow: 106,000 cubic feet of water per acre. That’s a lot of water.
