‘Theirs no beauty in the finest cloth if it makes hunger & unhappiness’ ~ Mahatma Gandhi. Which is why Blue Brontide only uses natural fibres of hemp, cotton or linen, grown organically, GOT's certified, chemical-free from renewable sources.
So what exactly is Organic Cotton . . . .
According to the Organic Trade Association, organic cotton is grown without the use of toxic pesticides or fertilizers. Methods such as beneficial insect releases, strip cutting of alfalfa and new weeding machinery help reduce the environmental impact of cotton crops. With cotton which is organic and Fairtrade considered the ‘gold standard’ for sustainable cotton!
So what's the issue with regularly grown cotton . . .
Conventionally grown cotton uses enormous amounts of pesticides, which are damaging to the surrounding ecosystem, the people who work/live in the vicinity of these chemicals being used and also the soil quality, add to this Pesticide resistance ‘the decreased susceptibility of a pest population to a pesticide that was previously effective at controlling the pest’ and eventually it will lead to decreased crop production. So whilst the use of pesticides, herbicides and fungicides helps with a bumper crop initially, in the long run, it's just not a sustainable method of farming! Once cotton is harvested it's processed using ammonia and formaldehyde, petroleum scouring agents & ammonia continuing the onslaught of chemicals released into the environment & with possible residues left on the cotton that could potentially be absorbed into the skin.
So why is it important to choose organic for our children . . .
- º Their's nothing nasty lurking in natural organic fabrics! Chemicals can be absorbed by our skin into our bloodstream from conventionally grown cotton ( one of the most heavily pesticide-treated crops in the world) and even inhaled causing skin allergies and respiratory issues. A baby's skin is a lot more delicate than an adults so is even less resistant to harmful substances causing a greater risk for pesticide-related health problems than adults.
- º It's GM-free! Franken crops as they have ominously been nicknamed now make up over 90% off all cotton growth in India and 30% of all cotton growth worldwide. We are yet to know the full implications of genetically modified cotton/crops but most deem GM a potential risk to wildlife and human health!
- º Its better quality. Mariusz Stochaj from Continental Clothing states “…when compared like-for-like, organic fibres consistently produce better quality yarns than conventional cotton.” Buying organic may be a little more expensive but wash per wash will last a lot longer than conventional cotton as it's not been through the extensive production of bleaching, dyeing, scouring that none organic cotton goes through before its even ready to sell.
- º Working environments are better for those on farms without the use of chemicals found in – pesticides, herbicides, fungicides – which can reportedly cause regular acute and chronic health problems especially in countries where cotton is still hand-picked.
- º A healthier eco-system as theirs no chemicals leaking into the water system and improved soil health.
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