Organic Cotton and Cotton Workers

The Sustainable Cotton Project states that “According to 1995 data, for example, United States farmers applied nearly one-third of a pound of chemical fertilizers and pesticides for every pound of cotton harvested…Some of these chemicals are among the most toxic classified by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. In developing countries, where regulations are less stringent, the negative impacts are even more severe.”

There are 107 active ingredients in pesticides that are cancer causing in animals or humans yet a whooping 83 of those are still in use today. The Education of the Textile Arts of California noted that 15 pesticides are known reproductive disrupters. These toxic pesticides, even when used correctly, have an extremely harmful effect on cotton workers as well as people in the surrounding areas.

According to Pesticide Action Network North America (PANNA):

In many developing countries, farmers and farm workers work in cotton fields with few if any safety precautions to protect them from pesticides. According to the UN Food and Agriculture Organization, farmers in many developing countries use antiquated and dangerous pesticide application equipment, resulting in spills and poisonings. In Pakistan, one of the top five cotton producing countries, approximately 50% of applied pesticides are wasted due to poor spraying machinery and inappropriate application. A 1997 Danish television documentary showed methyl parathion being sprayed on cotton fields in Nicaragua and Guatemala while children played in and beside the fields. It also documented numerous cases of methyl parathion poisonings in cotton production. Pesticide poisoning remains a daily reality among agricultural workers in developing countries, where up to 14% of all occupational injuries in the agricultural sector and 10% of all fatal injuries can be attributed to pesticides.

Farm workers are also threatened by hazardous pesticides in industrialized countries. In one study of pesticide illnesses in California, cotton ranked third among California crops for total number of worker illnesses caused by pesticides. In September 1996, approximately 250 farm workers in California were accidentally sprayed with a mixture of highly toxic pesticides when a crop dusting plane applied the chemicals to a cotton field adjacent to a field where workers were harvesting grapes. Twenty-two workers were rushed to hospitals with symptoms of acute pesticide poisoning. According to the crop dusting company, the pilot was experienced and followed regulations. County officials stated that the chemicals are registered for use on cotton and that the duster was not required to notify workers in the grape field prior to spraying.

Yikes! The good news is that organic cotton farmers do not use chemical fertilizers, defoliants, pesticides, or herbicides. Fortunately, they use natural methods such as crop rotation, insect predators, traps, and botanical pesticides. Growing cotton organically ensures the safety of cotton workers and the nearby communities.

Just another great reason to purchase organic cotton.

~Jill Hachlaf

Wendy's Story

I returned to work when my daughter, Micaela, was almost a year old. Until then she was a healthy little girl. She had caught a few colds but nothing too severe. Fortunately, at the time, I worked for the school board and had the Spring, Summer and Christmas breaks off.

After a long search for a home daycare, I placed Micaela with a wonderful lady close to my work. Within a short time, Micaela began coming down with colds, which would then turn into, what we were told at the time, bronchiolitis. The first couple of episodes did not concern us too much. We had expected her to get sick once she started daycare after being exposed to her new surroundings and other kids. However, after the first few months she started a cycle of being sick for two or three weeks and healthy for just one. Summer came and she was home with me – and healthy. When she returned to daycare in September, she was sick through Christmas and the cycle started again. We were feeling frustrated as parents not knowing how to help our daughter.

By the end of January she became quite sick. I will never forget the day we had to take her to Emergency. It was a Saturday morning. She was lying on the floor and I noticed that she was lethargic and was struggling to breathe. I called my husband and we literally raced through traffic to get her to the Children’s Hospital.

When we arrived, I went to the front desk. The intake nurse asked me if she had asthma. I told her that our family doctor was treating her for asthma but was unable to diagnose it as such. The nurse wrote on the form “cough” and asked me to take a seat. Then she spotted my husband holding Micaela in his arms and asked to check her breathing and her heart beat. The next thing I knew she was asking him to follow her and for me to sign her in at the registration desk. When I went to her room, I found her lying on a bed wearing a nebulizer mask and doctors and nurses surrounded her. I looked at my husband; you could see the panic settling in with both of us. All we could do was look on as they helped her.

It was explained to us that her airways had so much inflammation that the amount of air allowed through her airways was that of a piece of thread. That was one of the scariest times for us. We felt extremely lucky to have gotten her to the hospital in time for them to help her. After several treatments, and a very long day, we were finally sent home in the wee hours of the morning. She slept in our bed that night although we didn’t get much sleep.

We were contacted later to attend the Asthma Clinic at the Children’s Hospital to help us learn how to control, and more importantly, prevent her asthma attacks. We learned that asthma affects about three million people. Six out of ten people with asthma do not have control of their disease. Poorly controlled asthma may lead to a severe, life-threatening asthma attacks and permanent lung damage. Asthma symptoms do not have to be tolerated and asthma control is attainable for the majority of Asthma sufferers.

While what causes asthma attacks are still unknown, researchers have determined that asthma can be caused by both hereditary (inherited) and environmental factors.

Allergens such as dust mites, indoor and outdoor moulds, animals, pollens and irritants such as smoke, fumes, chemical cleaners, perfumes, paints and weather changes can all contribute and trigger an asthma attack.

With smog, pollen and severe weather changes, you might think that you're more likely to encounter more triggers outdoors than indoors. In fact, the opposite is true. We spend 90% of our time indoors. This, along with changes in how our homes are built, has lead to poor indoor air quality and more triggers, in our homes. Fortunately, a great deal has been learned about asthma triggers that exist inside. By educating ourselves about indoor hazards, we discovered simple ways to reduce Micaela’s triggers.

I cannot change the fact that two of my three children have asthma. As a parent, I often struggle with this. I can however, make changes to their environment in order to reduce their triggers. In doing so, I hope that I am teaching them to make those changes for themselves in the future.

We have made simple changes in our home and the environment around us. Because of this we have noticed a difference in our kids’ health. Don’t get me wrong, we haven’t eliminated their asthma attacks but we are making progress. Every year things get better.

Whether your kids have asthma or not these are some simple changes that you can make to attain a healthier home:

•Use organic bedding.
•Encase your pillow, mattress and box spring in mite-allergen impermeable encasings or use wool bedding products.
•Launder bed linens in very hot water (55 degrees Celsius) once a week.
•Place a de-humidifier or air purifier in the rooms your child spends the most time in (their bedrooms, playrooms or living areas).
•Remove carpets, especially in the bedroom.
•Use chemical free cleaning products such as Norwex products.
•An organic whole-food, plant-based diet accompanied by chemical-free fish and meats can also help.

The past few years have been a huge learning experience for my family. In reflection, it is one that I feel extremely lucky to have had considering the severity of Micaela’s asthma attack. We gained a new appreciation about the environment we live in and the footprint we choose to leave behind.

~ Wendy Godfrey

Organic Cotton and Your Baby

Babies spend 60% of their first year sleeping and most of that is in their crib. A baby’s skin is extremely vulnerable to fabrics placed against it as 60% of what is on the fabric is absorbed. Also, a baby’s skin is thinner and more sensitive than an adult’s. What is toxic to an adult is actually 15 times more toxic to a baby!

Conventional cotton is grown from genetically modified seed and with the use of synthetic fertilizers, pesticides, herbicides or insecticides. Further, the Organic Trade Association states that, “during the conversion of cotton into conventional clothing, many hazardous materials are used and added to the product, including silicone waxes, harsh petroleum scours, softeners, heavy metals, flame and soil retardants, ammonia, and formaldehyde – just to name a few”. These toxins can persist on cotton indefinitely and irritate an infant’s skin and respiratory system.

According to Dr. Kristen Brown, ND:

It is of utmost importance that we limit babies and toddlers exposure to harmful toxins in any way possible. Compared to adults, little ones are not as efficient at clearing their bodies of chemical toxins. Sadly, many of the commonly used chemicals used to treat fabrics are shown to be very harmful to developing immune, digestive and nervous systems. Decreasing this harmful exposure for children and choosing organic can really help to reduce incidence of chemical sensitivities, allergies and other more serious health concerns later in life.

Organic cotton is extremely soft and cozy. It is stronger and more durable than conventional cotton since the fibers have not been broken down from chemicals used in the production process. It does not loose its shape as easily as conventional cotton, which gives it a longer life and saves you money.

Surrounding your baby with organic bedding is an important step you can take towards ensuring your baby lives in a pure, healthy and sustainable environment.

~Jill Hachlaf