The Basics of Organic Versus Conventional Cotton Textile Production
| organic | conventional |
| Natural, untreated GMO free seeds. | Typically GMO seeds, treated with fungicides and/or insecticides. |
| Healthy soil through crop rotation. Increased organic matter retains moisture in soil. | Synthetic fertilizers, loss of soil due to mono-crop culture and intensive irrigation. |
| Healthy soil creates natural balance. Beneficial insects and trap crops used. | Aerial spraying of insecticides and pesticides. Considered “the world’s dirtiest crop” |
| Natural defoliation from freezing temperatures or through the use of water management for harvesting. | Harvesting defoliation induced with toxic chemicals. |
| For production, fibers stabilized using double-plying or cornstarch. | Warp fibers stabilized using toxic waxes. |
| Whitening with peroxide. | Whitening with chlorine bleach |
| Finished with soft scour in warm water with soda ash, for a pH of 7.5 to 8. | Finished with hot water, synthetic surfactants, additional chemicals including formaldehyde. |
| Fair trade labour standards. | No labour standards. |