Guide Note:

Cotton is one of the most important and widely used fibers, grown around the seeds of the cotton plant and found in everything from clothing to food. Although its exact origins are not known, scientists and historians have found reference to it as far back as 7,000 years. It remains one of the most widely traded commodities on earth.

Fast Facts:

1. Often referred to as White Gold
2. Cotton first cultivated in India
3. Oldest cotton fabric discovered in Mexico
4. Chemicals used on cotton are among the most toxic substances used in farming
5. Most common varieties of cotton are Upland and Pima
6. One of the most widely traded commodities on earth

Cotton's ancient origins stretch back over 7,000 years, and can be found in such diverse areas as Africa, India, Asia, and Mexico. Many of the clues that cotton existed in these places were left in the form of cave paintings, but there were also references in writing. The Greek historian Herodotus wrote about trees baring wool as early as the 5th century BC. These ancient civilizations were skilled in spinning, weaving, and dyeing cotton.

Cotton existed in America when Christopher Columbus landed in 1492, but it was not until the cotton supply was cut off from Britain during the American Revoution that it became a popular crop. Following Eli Whitney's invention of the cotton gin in 1794, there was a cotton explosion, and for the next seventy-one years it had a huge impact on slavery, with the southern states supplying the majority of the cotton.

Cotton is one of the most important fibers in use today, and can be found in every aspect of our daily lives. The lint from cotton is used to make cloth, and is found in our clothes, bedding, and towels. There is also a fuzz on the cottonseed that is used in making plastics and explosives. The cottonseed itself is divided into three useful components: oil, hulls, and meal. The oil is used in salad dressing and shortening while the hull and meal are used to feed livestock and fish or as fertilizer.

Organic cotton is grown with a lower impact on the environment, and is in larger demand each year. This is in large part because many people are allergic to the chemicals in cotton and have thus turned to alternative means. The land where organic cotton is grown must not use chemicals on it for three years, otherwise it will not qualify for cultivation. Turkey, India and the United States are the leaders in organic cotton, which has been proven to maintain the same fiber strength as conventional cotton.

Fair Trade cotton refers to cotton that is monitored by a fair trade association. The entire process is overseen, making sure there is respect for the workers, and that they have good working conditions and fair wages. It also protects workers by reducing the pesticides and chemicals they are exposed to.