WASHINGTON, D.C. (Oct. 28, 2024) — Cotton has played a vital role in civilizations throughout the world for centuries. It has bolstered national economies and shaped global trade. It has been – and continues to be – a positive part of our daily lives in countless ways. But modern conventional cotton production now plays an oversized role in posing serious risks to the health of humans and our environment through its extensive use of chemical pesticides and fertilizers. 

A just-released report from The Organic Center, “Pesticide, Fertilizer and Genetic Modification Use in Conventional Cotton in the U.S. and Globally: The Case for Organic,” offers a detailed roundup of science and information that highlights the amount of, and concerns around, chemicals used in conventional cotton production globally and in the United States. The report marks the first time that official U.S. production data on pesticide and fertilizer use in cotton has been analyzed in such an in-depth and public manner. 

The report builds on The Organic Center’s 2020 report “Organic Cotton: One of the most important choices you can make for the environment,” which dives deep into the benefits of organic cotton production.  

“Our earlier report shows how organic cotton production prevents the use of toxic synthetic chemicals and promotes a healthy ecosystem. In this new report, we are strengthening our case for a change in most of the world’s cotton production by revealing the statistics and sharing the facts on chemical use in conventional cotton production,” said Dr. Amber Sciligo, Director of Science Programs for The Organic Center.  
Dr. Sciligo noted: “To best protect people and the environment, the conventional cotton sector can draw on organic practices, but farmers and brands need more information and data on the current chemical pesticide use in cotton production to make informed decisions on how to improve their practices.”

The case for change

Cotton is grown in more than 50 countries around the world, with the U.S. being the third largest producer. In 2021-2022, the most recent year for which data is available, more than 11 million acres were planted to cotton in this county, and global cotton acreage totaled around 82 million acres. Much of this cotton is managed with the extensive use of pesticides, synthetic fertilizers and genetically modified (GM) seeds. 

Although cotton is a globally grown and used commodity, there is a glaring lack of transparency in the kinds and quantities of chemical pesticides and fertilizers used in the production of this important crop. Despite the widespread use of chemical inputs and their potential risks, detailed industry information about conventional cotton’s chemical use largely remains behind prohibitive paywalls and, with the bulk of the reports, provided by the cotton industry with data provided by the chemical manufacturers, omitting the names and quantities of the different pesticides used and providing limited data on fertilizer use.   

The U.S. is the only country to officially report the use of pesticides and fertilizers in cotton production, with the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) conducting semi-regular surveys on cotton production, listing the actual inputs and providing the information to the public at no cost. The Center’s report focuses on the most recent USDA statistics from 2021 production since that is the agency’s most recent data for cotton. On the global front, the report analyzes data made available in 2024 for the years 2018 through 2022 by the International Cotton Advisory Committee (ICAC). 

Major findings: 

• In the U.S., some 42 million pounds of pesticides were used in conventional cotton production, ranking cotton as the most pesticide-intensive crop per acre of the nine field crops surveyed by USDA in 2019-2023, including corn, soybeans and wheat. Globally, pesticide usage for cotton ranks fifth among the top single global crops (after soybeans, corn, wheat and rice) with an average annual usage of 256 million pounds. 
• At least 98 pesticides were applied to cotton in the U.S., including almost 13 million pounds of the herbicide glyphosate. Exposure to glyphosate has been linked to serious health concerns, such as non-Hodgkin Lymphoma, other cancers, impaired neurodevelopment and more.
• The top 10 pesticides used on conventional cotton in the U.S. pose numerous health risks: seven meet the United Nation’s Highly Hazardous Pesticides criteria, six are considered possible, probable or known carcinogens, three are considered “moderately acutely toxic” pesticides, and four are considered endocrine disruptors.
• In the U.S., around 1.3 billion pounds of synthetic fertilizers were used on conventional cotton in 2021, making cotton the third most fertilizer-intensive single crop per acre among nine field crops USDA surveyed 2019-2023, behind only corn and rice. Of that total, nitrogen fertilizer accounted for nearly 700 million pounds. Nitrogen fertilizers are a major contributor to climate change by releasing the potent greenhouse gas nitrous oxide. Globally, fertilizer usage on cotton amounted to an estimated 16.4 billion pounds.
• In the U.S., 96 percent of the conventional cotton planted is genetically modified. Globally, cotton was the third most widely adopted genetically modified crop by the 29 countries that have adopted the technology as of 2019. 

Call to action 

The case for organic cotton is strong. Instead of using harmful synthetic pesticides and fertilizers, organic cotton farmers use cover crops like clover, rye and other rotational crops to manage soil nutrition, soilborne diseases and pests. Organic practices help increase the function of natural pest and disease management, while returning carbon to the soil and raising the soil’s productivity. The use of hazardous synthetic pesticides, synthetic fertilizers and genetically modified seeds is banned in organic. 

The report calls on governments and the cotton industry to annually track the use of pesticides, fertilizers and GM used in their respective countries and to make the information publicly available. It also calls upon governments and universities to increase research and education on the challenges that organic cotton farmers and farmworkers face, and to develop and provide training in the use of non-toxic methods of defoliation as well as insect and weed management. It urges cotton brands to drive change by using more organic cotton and to work closely with organic cotton farmers. And it calls upon consumers to purchase more organic cotton, using the power of their wallets for change.  

“Given the risks posed to humans and the environment from conventional cotton production, the time is now to make the change and transition to organic production methods,” said Dr. Sciligo.    

The report was developed in collaboration with Sandra Marquardt of On the Mark Consulting and a member of the Organic Trade Association’s Fiber Council with support from Naturepedic Organic Mattresses and Bedding.   

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About The Organic Center
 The Organic Center's mission is to convene credible, evidence-based science on the health and environmental impacts of organic food and farming and to communicate the findings to the public. The Center is an independent non-profit 501(c)(3) research and education organization operating under the administrative auspices of the Organic Trade Association.