ORGANIC VS CONVENTIONAL COTTON
Organic cotton is grown in subtropical countries like Turkey, USA and China from non-genetically modified plants, which is said to be used without the use of any synthetic agricultural chemicals like fertilizers or pesticides. Organic cotton farming promotes and enhances biodiversity and biological cycles.
Organic cotton has the following advantages:
Protecting surface and groundwater quality.
Reduced risk in insect and disease control by replacing insecticide with the manipulation of ecosystems
Long-term prevention of pests through beneficial habitat planting.
Conservation of biodiversity.
Eliminates the use of toxic chemicals used in cotton.
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Yet its disadvantages include:
Causes a decline in soil productivity which can be due to wind and water erosion of exposed topsoil ; water holding capacity or biological activity.
The environmental effect of conventional cotton farming:
If you have a mono crop, it’s prone to attacks by disease, and pest. That dramatically increases the need for pesticides, or medication to be used. Such chemicals are making our drinking water toxic, and causing serious problems in the oceans.
The effect on the economy:
Market competition is limited and therefore famers have minimum control over farm prices, they continue to receive smaller portions from consumers.
Economic pressures have lead to a loss of farms which contributes to the disintegration of rural communities and localised marketing systems. This makes it challenging for potential farmers to enter the business today.
The effect on one’s health:
Potential health hazards are tied to sub-therapeutic use of antibiotics in animal production, and pesticide and nitrate contamination of water and food. Farm workers are poisoned in fields, toxic residues are found on foods, and certain human and animal diseases have developed resistance to currently used