To say cotton crops require large amounts of water would be quite an understatement. Globally, that
usage adds up to over 250 billion tons of water a year. Yet, just quoting statistics alone is not enough to understand the environmental impact this creates. To demonstrate just how devastating the effect's have been, you need only look to the Aral Sea in Central Asia; or what's left of it. Once the worlds forth largest lake, it has sadly disappeared due to aggressive, irresponsible cotton farming. The United Nations refers to this event as the most staggering disaster of the twentieth century" . While this is certainly the most extreme example, cotton industry water mismanagement remains a serious concern world wide.
By comparison, hemp crops have the ability to thrive on rain water alone. That said, most area's where hemp is commonly grown do use moderate irrigation. But, no where near the excessive quantity that cotton requires.
Estimates put this amount at roughly half of what cotton requires. Thus helping to preserve one of our most valuable natural recourses.
Cotton farming's excessive use of irrigation does more than exhaust our water supply. It erodes and depletes the soil it's grown in. While cotton is a notoriously thirsty plant, the heavily irrigated soil can't absorb all the excess water. Over time, runoff of the remainder causes significant, sometimes irreversible damage. Prolonged periods of heavy irrigation displaces salt deposits and alters the soils chemical makeup. Worst case senecios permanently render soils useless.
Farmers can grow hemp consistently for many years without causing soil damage. That said, hemp takes nitrogen and other nutrients from the soil. Responsible hemp farmers should rotate crops periodically. Doing so has a mutually beneficial effect on all crops grown in the same soil. Hemp leaves the soil in ideal condition for other crops like wheat or oats. So much so that
increases in yield after hemp has been grown are reportedly significant. Conversely, alternate crops restore nitrogen to soil necessary for hemp crops to prosper. It is important to note, hemp, like any other industrial crops typically requires some degree of irrigation. This means there is potential for some level of soil erosion. But, certainly not to the extent of cotton cultivating.
Hemp has a
natural resistance to insects and parasites. For this reason, it is typically grown with little to no insecticides or pesticides. Conversely, cotton uses more insecticides and pesticides than any other seasonally grown crop. These toxins seep into the soil and water ways, putting wildlife and humans alike in danger. Global Organic Textile Standard (GOTS) certified organic cotton is grown without chemicals. But, unfortunately, less than 10% of cotton world wide is grown organically.
Hemp absorbs more carbon than it produces, thus making it a carbon negative plant. Hemp plants actually sequester nearly twice as much carbon as trees. In fairness, organically grown cotton also absorbs more cotton than it releases. But, as noted earlier, only a small percentage of cotton is grown without insecticides or pesticides. Cotton's heavy pesticide usage associated with standard farming methods releases tons of Co2 into the atmosphere. This contributes to global warming and climate change.
While the only useful part of the cotton plant is the flower, The entire hemp plant can be used for commercial purposes. The outer portion is used to make wonderful eco-friendly fabrics while the remaining components are found in , food, paper product , bioplastics, insulation, and even biofuel.
