It’s a beautiful plant, but according to the Organic Trade Association:

“Cotton is considered the world’s ‘dirtiest’ crop due to its heavy use of insecticides, the most hazardous pesticide to human and animal health.”

“It can take almost a 1/3 pound of synthetic fertilizers to grow one pound of raw cotton in the US, and it takes just under one pound of raw cotton to make one t-shirt”

“Nitrogen synthetic fertilizers are considered the most detrimental to the environment, causing leaching and runoff that freshwater habitats and wells.”

 “The cottonseed hull, where many pesticide residues have been detected, is a secondary crop sold as a food commodity. It is estimated that as much as 65% of cotton production ends up in our food chain, whether directly through food oil or indirectly through the milk and meat of animals”

If your cotton isn’t organic its most likely Genetically Modified. If you can, please support the farmers who have chosen to grow 100% organic cotton. In the very least,  check those food labels and make sure that your cookies, crackers, etc. are not made with cottonseed oil, a bi-product of cotton processing.