Organic cotton: better for our precious earth, and your precious babe

When her eldest daughter developed eczema, early in life, Our Joey's founder, Wendy, discovered the importance of pure, natural textiles.

Wendy witnessed, firsthand, the improvement in her daughter's skin, once she made the switch to natural and organic fibres.

Conventionally-grown cotton and synthetic dyes and finishers, create a toxic cocktail, which bubs absorb through porous, ultra-delicate skin.

Young children are particularly vulnerable to these dangerous materials, as their organs are still developing. (8)

Conventional cotton: a social, ethical and environmental quandary

Cotton is everywhere.

Favoured for its softness and breathability, cotton is the most commonly-used fabric in the world.

Everything from clothes, bedding and towels, to nappies and feminine hygiene products, are made from the stuff.

Cotton is produced in 85 countries worldwide and crops account for 2.5 percent of the world's arable land, but a whopping 16 percent of the world's pesticide use.

Hailed as a natural fibre, you might be shocked to learn, that the way in which conventional cotton is produced, makes it anything but.

Grown conventionally, this fluffy, innocent-looking crop is treated with some of the most toxic chemicals, known to humankind.

Just one drop of Aldicarb, a common cotton pesticide, absorbed through the skin, is enough to kill a person. (1)

Glyphosate-containing RoundUp, a routinely used weedkiller, has been linked to cancer and myriad other health problems. (2) Glyphosate has so permeated our environment, as tocontaminate our food and water supply. It has even been found present in human breastmilk! (3)

Cotton crops are increasingly genetically modified, to withstand larger amounts of these hazardous compounds. (4) We could fill pages with the negative implications of genetically modified organisms, alone, but we'll save that for another day.

While greater pest and weed resistance might result in higher cotton yields, higher income for farmers, and lower cotton prices, it is to the detriment of the collective wellbeing.

Lifecycle analysis has demonstrated that conventional cotton production - from growth to disposal - has a tremendously negative impact on the environment, spurring climate changeexcess water and energy consumption, and pollution of the air and waterways.

A 2012 study, by Cotton Incorporated, found that just one thousand kilograms of cotton, will produce forty-two thousand kilograms of carbon dioxide emissions, throughout its lifecycle. (5)

This figure does not account for the emissions racked up, as that same batch of cotton travels tens of thousands of kilometres, around the globe, to undergo different stages of processing, and finally, to reach you, the consumer, at your local department store,

Adding to these troubling environmental implications, are social and ethical concerns.

Conventional cotton farming and processing takes place, largely, in developing countries, leaving the world’s poorest citizens to bear the brunt of its associated health and
environmental impacts. (6)

Many cotton farmers, in the Third World, are not educated about the dangers of agriculturalchemicals, storing containers of chemicals inside their homes, even right next to their beds, ready for work the next day! (6)

Some farmers have no choice but to work the cotton fields, and put their health at risk, if they hope to provide for their families.

Increasing the demand for organic cotton products, will persuade more producers to make the switch to organic farming methods, making cotton production a safer vocation for those, who don't have the luxury of a career change.

Cheaper clothing, but at what cost?

In a perfect world, all cotton crops would be grown organically and abundant supply would equal lower cost to the consumer.

We wouldn't have to stress about naff chemicals seeping into our bodies, via our food and clothing, and the very air we breathe.

Organic cotton comes at a premium because the demand is growing, but only a very small portion of cotton is farmed organically.

We understand the allure of fast fashion - modern life ain't cheap, and you can buy entire outfits at Kmart for $4!

But these rock-bottom prices come at a cost: to your health, the health of the
environment, and to the rights and wellbeing of human beings, in developing countries, whoare enslaved and exploited for their labour.

The environmental costs of conventional cotton production are so, that if the resulting financial burden was factored into its price, the cost of cotton would rise five hundred percent! (7)

Now, imagine if the cost of healthcare, to treat the multitude of chemical-induced health conditions, were also factored into the price!

If you bemoan the cost of organics, we put this to you: have you priced cancer, lately? If you can afford organic products, you should endeavour to buy them.

It is an investment in cleaner air and waterways, better health and a more equitable world.

Our Joey's aim is to make organics more accessible and affordable.

We offer Joey Bundles, reducing the cost, when you buy two items together; we regularly hold product giveaways and offer loyalty discounts.

The majority of our items are unisex, meaning that you won't need to buy another full suite of clothing and nursery items, if you later have a bub of a different gender.

This reduces clothing waste, and the cost of purchasing organic, long term.

Our entire Baby Essentials collection is made of the finest-quality, Fairtrade, GOTS-certified cotton, and is made to last.

They'll never know your second kiddo is wearing hand-me-downs!

If you think organics are out of reach for your family, maybe it's time to think again.

Organic cotton: salvation for baby's sensitive skin, and the environment

Clean, untreated cotton, grown and processed, without chemicals, and coloured with low-impact dyes, is the obvious choice, for a healthier bub and a healthier world.

Organic cotton is also sustainable. Being a natural fibre, it decomposes quickly, in contrast
with plastic-based materials, which do not biodegrade. As conventional cotton
biodegrades, its chemical components also break down, at a detriment to the surrounding environment. (9)

At Our Joey, we believe that every organic purchase, reduces the toxic burden on a child’s body, and the environment, and is, therefore, a worthy investment.

Will you stand with us, and choose organic?