The interest in how our clothes have been produced has meant that the ethical clothing market has expanded substantially in the past couple of years.

The focus has often been on the social impacts of clothing manufacture and the environment has often taken a back seat. It might not be better for your health in the same way as organic food could be, but buying organic cotton is equally as important as buying organic food.

Conventional cotton (that is non-organic cotton) is one of the heaviest users of pesticides. It uses around a quarter of the world’s pesticides and more than 10% of all the pesticides used around the world. This isn’t just damaging for the environment. It also has a heavy toll on the health of all workers in the cotton industry, as well as those living close to cotton production areas. Deaths as a result of the pesticides used on the crops are not uncommon, while the chemicals used can also pollute local drinking water. The Environmental Justice Foundation also found child labour to be rife in the conventional cotton industry.

Textiles certified with an organic certification ensure that the product has been produced to internationally recognised standards. This means that any chemicals that harm wildlife or are suspected to cause cancer, birth defects or changes to reproductive organs are banned. Suspected or proven allergens are also not allowed. Organic farming is also benefiicial – improving soil fertility, causing less pollution and it’s better for local widlife too.

Choosing organic cotton wherever you can is therefore a really positive environmental and social choice that you can make. It doesn’t just benefit the environment, but also the health of those living near and working in cotton production. Luckily, organic cotton clothes are becoming easier and easier to find. Many of the major high street stores do have organic cotton ranges. Marks & Spencer, Gap, H&M, Next and even New Look have their own organic ranges.

While it’s great to see the high street retailers offer such ethical choices, they’re not the leaders in this particular fashion race. Many smaller, ethical clothing companies and retailers have been offering organic fabrics for years.

If you’re looking at buying organic clothes, think about buying items from both the high street and the ethical retailers. That way, we can make sure the high street stores keep stocking their lines, while also making sure that the smaller, ethical companies stay in business. If you can't find organic clothing in your favourite store, why not ask shop staff or ring customer care lines and ask the company what its plans are for stocking organic cotton.

Links: For more information go to the Pesticide Action Network’s Wear Organic website : www.pan-uk.org/Projects/Cotton/index.htm

For more information about the ethics of organic agriculture, look at the Soil Associations www.whyorganic.org website.

There is a full and comprehensive list of companies selling organic clothing, but here are a few:

Bishopston Trading Company www.bishopstontrading.co.uk
Hug www.hug.co.uk
Seasalt www.seasaltcornwall.co.uk
Equop www.equop.com
Clothworks www.clothworks.co.uk
Gossypium www.gossypium.co.uk
Funky Gandhi www.funkygandhi.com
Greenfibres www.greenfibres.co.uk
GreenKnickers www.greenknickers.org
People Tree www.peopletree.co.uk
Spirit of Nature www.spiritofnature.co.uk

Dont forget to check out the Ethics Girls shop for organic clothing - brands include Hug, & Kuyichi

written by Ruth Rosselson - Ruth Rosselson has been a writer and researcher at the Ethical Consumer magazine from 1997 to 2007 where she was also the clothing editor. She sat on the board of Labour Behind the Label and also worked as a Life/confidence coach. Ruth has recently left the UK for sunnier climbs - we wish her good luck and many thanks for her contributions!