Jedzebel Blog

Organic Cotton vs. Cotton: Does it Really Matter?

You hear it everyday, when at all possible buy organic. From the fruit you purchase at the grocery store to the t-shirt you throw on in the morning buying organic has a greater impact than you may have realized.

Since the birth of EcoGirl we have strived to develop a line of clothing that is functional, flattering and sustainable all at a reasonable price.

Here are some of the nitty gritty facts on why buying organic cotton clothing is worth seeking out.

• Cotton covers 2.5% of the world's cultivated land yet uses 16-25% of the world's insecticides, more than any other single major crop.
• The Sustainable Cotton Project estimates that the average acre of California cotton grown in 1995 received some 300 pounds of synthetic fertilizers or 1/3 pound of fertilizer to raise every pound of cotton. Synthetic fertilizers have been found to contaminate drinking wells in farm communities and pose other long-term threats to farm land.
• Growers spray 24 percent of the world's insecticides on their cotton fields. Many of these chemicals are known to cause cancer in humans.
• When those crop dusters fly overhead, they spray everything, killing the good insects, spiders and birds that would normally gobble help keep those pesky cotton-nibblers at bay. You and your community are also exposed to all those nasty chemicals.
• Because the natural predators are gone, opportunistic species flourish, further threatening the crop. Farmers apply even more pesticides to kill the new bugs, and the "pesticide treadmill" goes round and round, requiring ever harsher chemicals as the "bad bugs" develop stronger and stronger resistance.

Five important things you do when you buy organic cotton

1. Protect fisheries
Runoff containing pesticides from cotton fields killed 240,000 fish in Alabama in 1995.

2. Prevent chronic health problems in Egyptian cotton workers
In the 1990s, 50% of Egyptian cotton workers suffered from chronic pesticide poisoning, including neurological and vision disorders.

3. Prevent health disorders to workers around the world
91% of Indian men working eight plus hours/day will suffer an illness related to chromosomal aberrations and cell death while producing cotton t-shirts in Bangladesh.

4. Save American lives
Each year, more than 10,000 Americans die from cancer associated with pesticides.

5. The life you save may be your own
A third of a pound of fertilizers and pesticides are used in the growth and production of every cotton t-shirt.

Additional Recourses:

http://www.care2.com/greenliving/a-guide-to-cotton.html#ixzz1okeILl3J

http://www.squidoo.com/organicotton

http://www.aboutorganiccotton.org/index.html

Jedzebel Jewelry

If you have ever stopped by our store location in Santa Cruz, you would notice that we not only stock the store with our EcoGirl, hat.a.girl and Jedzebel line but that we also have jewelry. Well after much encouragement from customers we are now offering our jewelry online. The designs are unique and the stones gorgeous.

In true Jedzebel fashion we are continuing to source our goods in a fair trade manner. All necklaces, bracelets and rings are created from individual artisans in Thailand. As you will notice each piece is done with care and respect for the stones, shells and craft. The colors, technique and materials are exotic, classic and by working alongside the artisans and following the principles of fair trade these communities are able to produce an excellent income.

By being able to work in their homes, women and families in these small villages are afforded the opportunity to gain financial freedom by establishing their own fair wages by producing unique and intricate pieces.

Enjoy the collection and let us know what you like!