Egyptian Cotton

What does organic really mean anyway?

“Organic” when used to describe agricultural products and the goods made from them is more of a marketing term than a scientific one. The general expectation is that products marketed as “Organic” contain no toxic pesticides and that the crops have not been genetically altered.

Scientific evidence notwithstanding, some people cling to the view that all chemical (ie. synthetic) pesticides are bad and that only “natural” pesticides can be used safely.

There are also a variety of views on what “genetically altered” actually means. Farmers have been genetically altering crops for thousands of years so the argument really becomes what are acceptable and non-acceptable forms of genetic alteration.

In reality, organic certified simply means that a government authority says this crop meets it’s “organic” standards. Because these standards are set by politicians, not scientists, they are prone to change like other political issues. Before you pay a lot of extra money for those organic king sheet sets look at the labels a little closer. Do they specify who has certified that they are organic? Is it an agency you can trust?

Is there really a difference between “chemical free” and “organic”? You’ll need to make that final decision yourself. In either case, Egyptian Cotton is still your best (and safest) choice. See why in my next article.