A basic white, 100% cotton T-Shirt. We all have one, but do you know who and what it took to make that? We must go back to the beginning: agriculture. Due to the demands of population and Western countries appetite for fast-fashion, appropriate agricultural technologies are crucial. Typically, growing and harvesting one pound of cotton fiber needed to make a T-shirt takes an enormous and devastating toll on the Earth's air, water, soil and global health.
While we do hold cotton farmers in the United States, it is mostly in developing countries that we import our cotton form. Most of the world's cotton farmers live and work in underdeveloped countries therefore their people suffer from:
One of the biggest issues with cotton farming right now is that bio-tech companies, like Monsanto, began patenting seeds. These are often referred to as genetically-modified organisms (GMO) or corporate seeds. One of the biggest issues with these GMO's is that they defy the sustainable farming tactics used before they were created. Farmer’s can no longer save this harvest’s seed for next year, meaning they are forced to purchase new seeds every year. Corporate seeds destroy nature’s natural evolution and biodiversity because farmers cannot reuse last year’s seed and they are forced to buy expensive fertilizers and pesticides needed to grow their crop.
Some acute symptoms of pesticide poisoning include: headaches, vomiting, tremors, lack of coordination, difficulty breathing, depression, seizures. Some of the chronic effects: Impaired memory and concentration, disorientation, and death. 23 million to 77 million agricultural workers suffer from pesticide poisoning. Although we may not have the loaded gun, there are too many links between pesticides and human ailments.
Photo credit here
While we do hold cotton farmers in the United States, it is mostly in developing countries that we import our cotton form. Most of the world's cotton farmers live and work in underdeveloped countries therefore their people suffer from:
- Low levels of safety awareness
- Lack of access to protective apparatus
- Illiteracy
- Poor labeling of pesticides
- Chronic poverty.
One of the biggest issues with cotton farming right now is that bio-tech companies, like Monsanto, began patenting seeds. These are often referred to as genetically-modified organisms (GMO) or corporate seeds. One of the biggest issues with these GMO's is that they defy the sustainable farming tactics used before they were created. Farmer’s can no longer save this harvest’s seed for next year, meaning they are forced to purchase new seeds every year. Corporate seeds destroy nature’s natural evolution and biodiversity because farmers cannot reuse last year’s seed and they are forced to buy expensive fertilizers and pesticides needed to grow their crop.
Some acute symptoms of pesticide poisoning include: headaches, vomiting, tremors, lack of coordination, difficulty breathing, depression, seizures. Some of the chronic effects: Impaired memory and concentration, disorientation, and death. 23 million to 77 million agricultural workers suffer from pesticide poisoning. Although we may not have the loaded gun, there are too many links between pesticides and human ailments.
Photo credit here
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