1. Cotton is the most toxic crop in the world?
* It takes 1/3 of a pound of pesticides and fertilizers to grow enough cotton for just one T-Shirt.
* Cotton requires 25% of all insecticides and 10% of all pesticides used in the world but is only farmed on 3% of the world's farmland.
* U.S. subsidized cotton has driven the world wide price for cotton to a rock bottom low of just 28 cents a pound in 2000. In India, these low prices combined with high costs for pesticides has caused thousands of farmers to go bankrupt in the last decade. Since 1995, 20,000 cotton farmers committed suicide.
* The toxic fertilizers and pesticides used on cotton have leached into rivers, groundbasins and aquifers killing millions of fish, birds, and other wildlife.
* 55 million pounds of pesticides (4.3 Lbs/acre) and 2.03 Billion pounds of fertilizer (142 Lbs./acre) are sprayed on cotton IN THE U.S. a year.
* 7 of the 15 pesticides used on cotton are deemed by the EPA as "possible," "likely," "probable," or "known" human carcinogens (cause cancer in humans).
To learn more about the damaging effects traditional cotton production has on the land, human health and animals, please go to
Conventional Cotton Fact Sheet published by the Organic Consumer's Association.
2. Is Organic Cotton more expensive?
Yes. Yes, producing organic shirts is more expensive. But at
StickPeace the prices of our 100% Organic T-shirts and hats are only slightly more than other company's non-organic T-Shirts.
How can this be?We at
StickPeace accept making less profit from our T-Shirts
because we believe...
PEACE > PROFITS....see our bumper sticker
We also believe that Organic products should not be just for the wealthy or elite, or for special occasions. Organic products should be available for
EVERY PERSON, EVERY WHERE, EVERY DAY. Therefore, at
StickPeace we accept lower profits to do our part in making the Organic products that make our world a more healthy and peaceful place available to everyone.
3. Does buying Organic really make a difference?
Yes, it can and has.
* In 2000-2001, only 0.03% of all cotton grown in the world was orgainc cotton.
* However, in 2006 in the U.S. 5,971 acres of organic cotton was grown while in 2007 farmers planned to grow organic cotton on 7,473 acres. (An increase of 25.2% in just one year).
* In 2003, organic fiber sales in the U.S. grew by 22.7% over 2002.
Consumer demand for organic cotton products is driving this increase in organic cotton farming resulting in a healthier environment for all.
Buying Organic can and does make a difference.Help us to continue to make a difference. Whether you buy from
StickPeace or someone else -
BUY ORGANIC!Sources
OTA's "2006 U.S. Organic Production & Marketing Trends" report.
Sustainable Cotton Project, "Cleaner Cotton Campaign Tool Kit," Oroville, CA.
U.S. Department of Agriculture Chemical Usage: 2003 Field Crop Summary."
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, "List of Chemicals Evaluated for Carcinogenic Potential," 2001.
Will Allen, Policy Board Member of the Organic Consumers Association, Cotton SUbsidies and Cotton Problems, Feb. 2004.