| Many consumers believe that all cotton is equal when | | | | Cleaning these clothes prior to wear does not |
| it comes to its production but nothing could be | | | | completely get rid of these toxic agents as they are |
| further from the truth. These differences are | | | | embedded within the fibers of the fabric. The |
| strikingly apparent when you consider cotton made | | | | Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) actually came |
| from sustainable farming methods and conventional | | | | out with a study that showed that seven of the top |
| farming methods. "Organic" has experienced a | | | | fifteen pesticides used on cotton crops are "known" |
| meteoric rise in status as many companies are | | | | or considered "likely human carcinogens." This is not |
| striving to be associated with a more environmentally | | | | only detrimental to you and your child but to |
| friendly image. This can be seen in foods, restaurants, | | | | everyone as well as research has found that only |
| toys, and of course organic clothes for children. | | | | about ten percent of the pesticides goes on the |
| Unfortunately, many do not know the benefits of | | | | cotton crops. The rest of the ninety percent seeps |
| organic clothing for children and mistakenly believe it | | | | into the soil, water, and air causing much harm to the |
| is just the label of "organic" that sets the two apart. | | | | ecosystem. |
| Only about 50 years ago did farms that produced | | | | Organic cotton from farms that employ organic |
| cotton switched from mainly utilizing sustainable | | | | farming methods does not have any of these |
| techniques to what we now consider "conventional" | | | | problems. They utilize methods that are sustainable |
| techniques that deplete resources, threaten the | | | | for the environment, which in turn, has many benefits |
| health of people and wildlife, as well as cause | | | | for your children. For example, instead of using toxic |
| irreparable harm to the environment. Most of the | | | | chemicals to eradicate pests, organic farmers use |
| pesticides and insecticides used in the production of | | | | mechanical or biological methods for pest control. |
| cotton were developed during World War II as | | | | They must also adhere to strict guidelines in order to |
| chemical weapons and these chemicals have been | | | | be considered "organic" so you can be sure that you |
| linked to various forms of cancer. If you think these | | | | are getting exactly what you want. A child that has |
| cotton crops do not use too much pesticides think | | | | allergies or has sensitive skin will benefit the most |
| about this statistic: cotton makes up about 2.5 | | | | from organic clothes as there are no toxic agents to |
| percent of the world's cultivated land but uses about | | | | cause any irritation. No dyes, pesticides, insecticides, |
| 25 percent of the world's pesticides in its production. | | | | or any other chemicals that are used in conventional |
| This staggering ratio can be broken down into one | | | | cotton production methods are present so that is |
| pound of pesticides for each pair of jeans and a | | | | one less worry on a parent of such a child. |
| t-shirt. That is how much toxin content there is in | | | | The term "organic" may seem like a fad and many |
| your clothes and what your children are wearing. | | | | companies are capitalizing on this but being organic is |
| These toxins can lead to skin allergies or irritation and | | | | not a passing fad. It is a choice by concerned people |
| it is no wonder that they do because a child's skin is | | | | and parents that want the best for themselves, the |
| much more delicate and sensitive than an adult's. | | | | environment and their children. |