Stories/Organic cotton - What does it really mean?

Organic cotton - What does it really mean?

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What is it exactly? Is it better? For whom? What is required for cotton to be called organic? We'll help you figure it out!

PESTICIDES & EMISSIONS
Cotton accounts for a very small proportion (about 2.5%) of everything grown on earth, and yet cotton crops are the cause of as much as 25% of all pesticide emissions targeting insects. Organic cotton is less than one percent of total cotton production. Chemical pesticides are harmful to animal and plant life and also to people who handle them. It also seeps into drinking water and poisons the soil.

ORGANIC GROWING
For the cotton to be called organic, it is required that it is grown without any chemical pesticides or artificial fertilizers whatsoever. To avoid depletion of the soil, the farmer must switch between different crops from year to year. This means that the soil becomes more fertile and that the risk of insect attacks is reduced. The land on which the cotton is grown must also have been free of chemicals for at least three years. Growing organically can produce poorer yields and requires a greater work effort. It can be good to remember when comparing prices and thinking about why there is a difference in price between organic cotton and cotton grown with chemical fertilizers and pesticides.

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CONTROL UNION CERTIFICATION
Imse and Vimse's products mainly consist of cotton, and we choose 100% organic cotton. Our cotton comes from suppliers who are all controlled and certified according to 'Control Union Certification'. Control Union Certification is an organization that follows criteria for organic production according to two established programs; GOTS (Global Organic Textile Standard) and 'Organic Exchange Certification'.

IN ORDER FOR THE COTTON TO BE CLASSIFIED AS ORGANIC THE FOLLOWING IS REQUIRED:
It must be produced without chemical pesticides and artificial fertilizers. The land where the cotton is grown must have been free of chemicals for at least three years. Cultivation must be varied with other crops. Organic cotton must be certified to be called organic.