TRANSGENIC COTTON. A toxic business (2017)

Hazardous pesticides, derived from chemicals developed for warfare and not suitable for food crops, have been used to cultivate cotton for more than fifty years.

Hazards of Cotton in our Food Supply, Ruth Chant, Theoretical Physicist, 2013

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Conventional cotton, grown by conventional agricultural methods, is renewable, biodegradable, environmentally-friendly, and sustainable. For every pound of cotton harvested, one third of a pound of chemical fertilizers and pesticides has been used in growing it. This is the amount of cotton needed and the chemicals used to manufacture one cotton t-shirt. Has transgenic cotton improved things? That question is in the unanswerable box simply because no one is looking at the issue hard enough. As to why towels are less absorbent and sticky and why the good quality sheets are not robust, again there is no definitive answer.

Again, it seems no one is looking to find the answers. There is no doubt the quality of organically grown cotton is equal to or better than conventionally grown cotton. It undergoes less processing and is not treated with harsh chemicals that aid wear and tear. Organic cotton is often more durable than conventional cotton and does not cause allergic reactions or irritation when it comes into contact with sensitive skin.

Organically grown cotton may well survive 5000 plus years to be found by archaeologists in a future dig. Organic production is driven by consumer demand, by consumer choice. Certified organic foods and ingredients, and non-food products prohibit the use of transgenes at all stages of production. That is one way to protect health and ensure a safe, pure supply.

Cotton is considered the world's dirtiest crop due to its heavy use of pesticides. Aldicarb, cotton's second best-selling insecticide and most acutely poisonous to humans and wildlife, is still used in 25 countries, including the US, where 16 states reported finding it in their groundwater. The dangers were recognized by the US Environmental Protection Agency and they signalled it to be phased out in 2018.

Understandably, cotton is often described as a “toxic” business.

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TRANSGENIC COTTON. A toxic business (2017)

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