Blog #02 (1/3): Threads of Change: Rethinking Cotton's Environmental Narrative
Hello there! Welcome to the second blog on sustainability in the fashion industry. I'm Aleks, the co-founder of apn gallery and the author of these blogs.
If you've ever pondered the significance of all the different certifications for cotton and how they distinguish themselves from one another, then look no further! I got what you need. Since writing about cotton in the fashion industry is like opening the box of pandora because there is so much to talk about I decided to split this blog into three parts.
First part: Before we talk about how and why certified cotton is better than just conventional cotton it is important to understand why conventional cotton has a negative impact on the environment, and the workers working in the cotton fields. This part we will cover today.
Second part: Here we will discuss the most used cotton certification standards as well as new cotton standards that are gaining traction right now.
Third part: This is where we will look closer how the verification systems work which ensures that the cotton from these standards is more sustainable and why third parties play an important role.
With that being said, let us jump right into it and talk about conventional cotton.
What is “conventional” cotton?
Conventional cotton refers to cotton that is produced using traditional farming methods, typically involving the heavy use of synthetic pesticides, fertilizers, and genetically modified seeds. This method of cotton farming poses several environmental and social challenges.
Environmental Impact:
Pesticide Use: Conventional cotton farming relies heavily on synthetic pesticides to control pests. These pesticides can harm beneficial insects, birds, and other wildlife, as well as contaminate soil and water sources. [Sustainable Agriculture Research & Education (SARE), 2017].
Soil Degradation: Intensive cultivation and the heavy use of chemicals can lead to soil erosion, loss of soil fertility, and degradation of land over time [SARE, 2017].
Water Consumption: Cotton is a water-intensive crop, and conventional farming methods often involve inefficient water use and irrigation practices, leading to depletion of water resources in regions where cotton is grown [Pimentel et al., 2004]. Below you can see the Aral Lake which divides Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan. What used to be the fourth largest lake in the world became a nearly non-existent lake due to the re-direction of the rivers that used to flow into the lake. The goal of the re-direction was to use the water for the irrigation of cotton fields. The pictures below show the changes of the Aral Lake from 2000-2018. (NASA Earth Observatory, n.d.)
Social Impact:
Worker Health: Exposure to synthetic pesticides and other agrochemicals used in conventional cotton farming can pose serious health risks to farmworkers, including skin irritation, respiratory issues, and even long-term health effects such as cancer [Arcury et al., 2012].
Labour Conditions: Workers on conventional cotton farms, particularly in developing countries, may face exploitative labour conditions, including low wages, long working hours, and lack of access to adequate protective gear or healthcare [Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), 2016].
Traceability
The lack of traceability in sourcing conventional cotton presents significant risks, particularly regarding the procurement of cotton from the Xinjiang region and the exploitation of the Uyghur population. According to the U.S. Department of Labor's "List of Goods Produced by Child Labor or Forced Labor," Xinjiang is known for its pervasive use of forced labor in cotton production, with the Uyghur minority being disproportionately affected. This situation is exacerbated by the complexity of global supply chains, making it challenging for companies to ensure ethical sourcing practices. As highlighted by the Environmental Justice Foundation, the lack of transparency in cotton supply chains enables human rights abuses to persist unchecked, with forced labor often occurring under coercive and exploitative conditions. Consequently, businesses face heightened scrutiny and reputational risks for inadvertently supporting such practices. Addressing these issues requires enhanced traceability measures and collaborative efforts across industries to uphold ethical standards in cotton sourcing.
Biodiversity
Conventional cotton farming has negative impacts on biodiversity. According to Altieri and Nicholls (2021), the heavy use of pesticides and synthetic fertilizers in conventional cotton agriculture disrupts natural ecosystems, leading to soil degradation and water pollution. Furthermore, the monoculture practices employed in conventional cotton farming result in the loss of habitat diversity, which in turn reduces the abundance and diversity of wildlife species (Ghaley and Jat, 2020). This agricultural model also contributes to the decline of pollinator populations, such as bees and butterflies, crucial for maintaining ecosystem balance and supporting crop production (Potts et al., 2016). Overall, conventional cotton farming poses a significant threat to biodiversity, undermining the resilience and sustainability of ecosystems.
Even though we are barely scratching the surface here I hope that this overview provides a good overview of the negative impacts conventional cotton farming has on the planet and the people.
Stay tuned for part two which I will upload next week. Until then, feel free to drop some feedback via Instagram on the blogs we wrote so far.
Lots of love,
Marika & Aleks
Bibliography:
Arcury, T. A., Grzywacz, J. G., Talton, J. W., Chen, H., Vallejos, Q. M., Galván, L.,... & Quandt, S. A. (2012). Repeated pesticide exposure among North Carolina migrant and seasonal farmworkers. American Journal of Industrial Medicine, 55(7), 662-671.
Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO). (2016). Social and labor issues in selected supply chains: Cotton. Rome.
Pimentel, D., Hepperly, P., Hanson, J., Douds, D., & Seidel, R. (2005). Environmental, energetic, and economic comparisons of organic and conventional farming systems. BioScience, 55(7), 573-582.
Sustainable Agriculture Research & Education (SARE). (2017). Cotton production and sustainability. Retrieved from https://www.sare.org/Learning-Center/Books/Managing-Cover-Crops-Profitably-3rd-Edition/Text-Version/Cotton-Production-and-Sustainability
U.S. Department of Labor. (2020). List of Goods Produced by Child Labor or Forced Labor. Bureau of International Labor Affairs. Retrieved from https://www.dol.gov/agencies/ilab/reports/child-labor/list-of-goods-produced-by-child-labor-or-forced-labor
Environmental Justice Foundation. (n.d.). Cotton: Human Cost of Cotton. Retrieved from https://ejfoundation.org/reports/human-cost-of-cotton
Altieri, M. A., & Nicholls, C. I. (2021). Agroecology and the reconstruction of the agrifood system. Agroecology for Sustainable Agriculture and Food Systems (Third Edition), 1-26.
Ghaley, B. B., & Jat, M. L. (2020). Conservation agriculture for smallholders: understanding the ecosystem services to promote adoption in the Indo-Gangetic Plains. Conservation agriculture for Africa: Building resilient farming systems in a changing climate, 367-392.
Potts, S. G., Imperatriz-Fonseca, V., Ngo, H. T., Aizen, M. A., Biesmeijer, J. C., Breeze, T. D., ... & Viana, B. F. (2016). Safeguarding pollinators and their values to human well-being. Nature, 540(7632), 220-229.
NASA Earth Observatory. (n.d.). Aral Sea. Retrieved from https://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/world-of-change/AralSea