Cotton is the world's most important non-food agricultural commodity.
Most of us, as consumers, buy and wear cotton garments and use cotton textiles in our homes. It is fair to assume that this includes most, if not all, Helium members.

World cotton consumption has been estimated at 25.4 million tonnes in 2006, by leading authorities in the USA and Europe. It is predicted to rise by 4.9% by the end of 2007. We, the consumers of the developed world, have created that demand.
WE have to face up to any moral and social issues which our demand create.

Cotton has been in constant demand for the last 7 decades.

But the size of the "Global Cotton Growing" area, with the appropriate soil condition and climate, has not changed much since the 1930's.

Therefore, the market overall has demanded increased yields from (more or less) the same land mass.

Increasing the "average cotton yield per crop" has involved :

- Culture research and development.
To produce higher yielding varieties.

- More organized methods of irrigation.

- Mechanical methods of harvesting.

But the biggest single influence on the increased average yields has been the use of Synthetic Chemicals such as :

- defoliants
- fertilizers
- pesticides.

If we consider the use of pesticides alone, we may begin to realize the impact on the environment of these chemicals.

Conventional Cotton is prone to attack by insects, and large amounts of the most toxic chemicals are used as insecticides.

The intensive use of toxic chemicals in cotton agriculture has caused severe environmental impact and serious health hazards including :

- farm worker poisoning (particularly in developing countries)
- water contamination
- bird, fish and animal kills.

The production of cotton is responsible for the release of US$ 2 billion of chemical pesticides annually. Of this large sum, some US$ 810 million are spent on chemicals which are considered by the World Heath Organization to be toxic.

A single drop of one chemical in particular, when adsorbed through the skin, can kill an adult. That chemical is applied to cotton in 26 countries mostly in the developing world.

Furthermore, in the developing world, children are widely used as cheap labor.
Therefore it is children which are largely at risk.

It is Helium's resolve to build a valuable and rich resource knowledge for the benefit of all.

Are we members fully aware of the impact on human health and the environment which our demand for cotton imposes ?

Do we care ?

Does P spell Death in Cotton ?

Learn more about this author, David Parkes.
Click here to send author comments or questions.

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