Taking Action Toward Sustainability

Cotton is a fiber that can most likely be found in the majority of items in your closet, seeing as it is the most used fiber on the planet. The problem that we face today with cotton is the production method. It can be expensive to produce and can create many problems in the environment. The key is to find the most sustainable way to produce it.

According to The sustainability of cotton: Consequences for man and environment, cotton is produced in over 100 countries. Of those countries 6 of them produce over 78% of all cotton, China being the top producer with 24% of the worlds total. Cotton can be a rather difficult crop to grow because it is sensitive to drought, low temperatures and attacks by various insects. Every country faces different climates so this can make the production easier or more difficult for certain countries. Water use and pesticide use create the most environmental problems in cotton production. Some countries can be more efficient in the production due to better technology. Another issue is whether organic or conventional cotton is more environmentally beneficial. A majority of cotton(80%) is produced under conventional farm management. But is that a good thing for our environment? Organic farming is a certified type of production, which can be beneficial because it is easier for retailers and consumers to understand the history of the produce and that causes them to make inferences about environmental impact. For some countries, like the USA and Australia, conventional farming can also be classified as organic but the pesticide use may still be high. However, for developing countries conventional farming is anything but sustainable. By increasing organic cotton in rain-fed regions, it will save on water use and no pesticides will be used. Our reading from last week, Fashion Sustainability and Textiles, talks about how more and more people are converting to organic farming and that organic farming can significantly reduce the use of water and pesticides in cotton growing.  I think that increasing organic farming will be the most beneficial option for our environment but for best results it needs to be produced in the proper environment and climate.

The golden age of water is over, according to the video Cotton and Water: White, Blue and Green. In the video they focus on the environmental problems caused by the production of cotton specifically in terms of the lack of water access. The world's most precious natural resource, water, is becoming more precious than ever. The cotton industry is trying to discover inventive ways to use far less water in the production process in factories and the field. Cotton farming now has undergone a dramatic change within the last 8 years. Cotton farmers in the US have developed a new irrigation system where water is delivered directly to the soil unlike old sprinkler system. It has underground pipes that deliver the water to the cotton plat directly. This has saved a lot of water use but is creating other problems. Now, they have to figure out a way to pump less out of the ground because it is getting too expensive. The ultimate goal is to produce varieties of cotton that are far less thirsty and require half as much as they are using now. Scientists believe that you must set a high goal if you want a large impact. In factories, companies in china and india have created high tech textile manufacturing method that uses vibrating membranes that removes indigo moleules after dying so the same water can be used again and again. This system recycles at least 80% of the water and saves 20,00 gallons of water everyday. This video provides many solutions to cut back on water use in the field and in production. It also provides many ideas of ways that technology is still advancing to cut back more because water is becoming more and more limited so we must take action before it becomes a crisis.

Based on my professional opinion, I think that the cultivation of cotton can be sustainable if you do it the proper way. When it comes to organic or conventional farming I think each have their pros and cons but I think we should start seeing a shift more toward organic farming because it has more benefits for everyone. However, I think the key is putting these ideas and suggestions form the reading and video to action. If everyone does their part I believe we will see a significant improvement.