High Hopes for the Future of Cotton

It’s just a basic t-shirt, right? As an avid t-shirt wearer, I had somewhat of an idea as to the amount of work that went into constructing this simple and very comfortable apparel item. However, after reading The Sustainability of Cotton and viewing a couple of different videos featuring cotton production methods online, I came to the realization of how harmful my basic t-shirt was on the environment as well as on the individuals who contributed to its creation. When I think about it, there are similar misconceptions around multiple facets of life. As the cliché goes, “you can’t judge a book by its cover”. And it is the truth! It is difficult to measure the hardships of cotton cultivation until someone explains them to you, or you learn about them in a class such as this one. Fortunately, the future of cotton seems to be a bright one.

Reading The Sustainability of Cotton brought to my attention many pressing issues that cotton producers experience, as well as what the environment experiences. Some of the issues mentioned include irrigation, fertilizers, pesticides, pests and diseases, and human impact.  All of which, if taken into consideration, make a significant difference between conventional and organic cotton growing methods. One issue that I found myself wanting to know more about was irrigated cotton cultivation. I was shocked to read about how much water is required for the farming and processing of cotton. According to the reading, it takes 10,000-17,000 liters of water to produce 1 kilogram of cotton lint. To put it into perspective, that is equal to 2,642 gallons, which is enough to fill close to 30 standard-sized bathtubs of water! (answers.com; answers.yahoo.com). In order for irrigation to be applied, many environmental sacrifices have to be made. This includes diverting rivers, constructing dams, and pumping water up from the soil. While there are prospective innovations to more efficient irrigating techniques, the high investment costs bring cotton producers to a halt. In order to avoid spending a fortune and sacrificing higher profits, farmers have to pay attention to the quality and quantity of the water being used, and be more efficient overall as much as possible.

The Cotton, Inc. website did a great job in lifting my spirits and informing me of the current conservation methods being enforced today. The video “Cotton & Water: White, Blue and Green” pointed out that apparently, there is a recent “spark” being seen within cotton farmers as they are being driven to find creative ways to conserve their water usage. In another video titled “Protecting and Preserving Soil with Today’s Cotton-Growing Techniques”, I learned about a new “conservation tillage” technology where instead of consistently plowing the farm fields, no tilling is involved and a new residue is planted. This new residue has many benefits not only in water conservation, but in reducing soil erosion as well. It makes more water available for plants because of its ability to soak up the rainfall and spread it more efficiently across the crops. It would be great if these conservation methods showed successful results, but it is ultimately up to the farmer as to whether or not they will be practiced.

The valuable information presented in the reading and the short videos led me to form the opinion that the current cultivation methods of cotton are not sustainable at all. However, I do see definite potential in the future for sustainability to be better enforced. This will ONLY occur if the more efficient methods are actually adopted and correctly performed by farmers. Consumers can also take part in this effort by being more aware of the production history of the garments that they purchase. So in conclusion, your t-shirt isn’t basic at all! However, the required steps to be more sustainable in producing your t-shirt CAN become basic and simple if we choose to exert the needed effort.