Printable version from NI Global Issues for Learners of English:
Cotton
More cotton is grown than any other natural fibre in the world.
More cotton is produced than all artificial fibres added together.
Cotton is grown on 5% of all the land in the world that is suitable for cultivation, often in places where people do not have enough food.
Cotton uses very large amounts of water and pesticides. It is estimated that growing cotton causes 1,000,000 cases of pesticide poisoning every year.
Denim jeans are made from cotton.
Where cotton comes from
Where the most pesticide
is used to grow cotton
This information is taken from the June 1998 issue of the New Internationalist.© 1998, 1999: the New Internationalist
Last Modified: 20 July 2000
