Can Cotton Become More Sustainable?

      Harming humanity with pesticides, using up more water than we can even imagine, and contaminating our soil are all ways cotton is harming our environment. Do any of these above issues sound sustainable to you? Right now, cotton is the most widely grown and used fiber in the world. Because it is so popular, the plant is becoming a global grower very quickly. While yes, mass production is a good thing for the apparel industry, it is proving to be very harmful to our environment in more than one way. Though cotton cultivation is very unsustainable for the environment as well as for those living in our environments, farmers and cotton producers are trying to find ways to become more sustainable.

      Since cotton is becoming so popular to grow, cheap cultivation is a way that most think is the way to go. Because of this mindset, China has become one of the leading cotton cultivators. Their cheap cultivation methods make their method an attractive one for cotton producers. This, however, is becoming consequently harmful and dangerous for their farmers. Their extensive use of pesticides are causing their farmers to become ill and are even causing casualties among them. Why would we want to harvest such a seed that will possibly kill those growing and producing it? This is an aspect of cotton cultivation that needs to be better addressed and fixed.

      Cotton is also a very thirsty plant. Because of this, irrigation systems, and other water systems that use natural water sources are being utilized and are also causing destruction on our pure, natural water. The overuse of water is a major problem when it comes to irrigating cotton. According to the text, The Sustainability of Cotton, 60% of all water used for irrigation is not reaching the cotton plants. This ineffective use of water needs to be monitored more heavily so that unused water is not being wasted. Our natural water sources will be gone sooner than we know if this problem is not more heavily researched.

      As of now, cotton cultivation is hazardous to our environment as well as to our health; but, we have an optimistic outlook for our future. The video, Cotton & Water: White, Blue and Green, believes that with their knowledge about the insustainability of cotton growth and production, they have the tools and knowledge to help fix the problems. They have come up with ways to better utilize their water usage. For example, researchers have found that to soften denim, they no longer need to use water and chemicals. Through the use golf balls and a drying machine the denim softening technique is more sustainable because they are conserving water while not using harsh chemicals. Farmers from the video are also becoming aware of their inefficient use of farmland and are coming up with ways to irrigate their cotton without using so much water and finding ways to control their usage of pesticides.

      Though cotton production right now is very unsustainable, farmers and manufacturers are doing their part to become more environmentally friendly. Through their attempts to minimize their uses of water and also help keep the soil from salinization (soil contamination), they are taking steps in the right direction. Right now, cotton production is very harmful to mother earth. In thirty years, however, with advanced knowledge in sustaining cotton, cotton farmers and producers are optimistic that they will find a way to use less than half of their water consumption. By making cotton more sustainable, our world will reap the benefits. Becoming more sustainable means to make our world more healthy and will in turn make it a better place to live for an extended amount of time.