First Draft of Research Paper

The Benefits of Organic Cotton versus Conventional Cotton; what makes an on campus College Store choose either?

Introduction

            It seems as though everyday more and more people are searching for new ways to live their lives in a more eco-friendly approach.  Along with the increasing amount of the population becoming more aware of the environment, new developments are also being made in order to help protect it as well.  Whether consumers are more worried about what is healthier for them, or if they are singly concerned with what is best for the environment, we are at a new stage of an eco-friendly market.

Organic cotton, first experimented with by a way to find a healthier way for the soil to grow cotton, has become one of the most asked for organic product by consumers (Yeldell, 2006).  The idea of growing organic cotton as a replacement of conventionally grown cotton has caught many consumers’ eyes who are trying to become more ‘green,’ (meaning more environmentally healthy and friendly.)  In the past decade big manufacturers, like Wal-Mart, have started working more with designer’s companies who will manufacture organically grown cotton merchandise that they can sell in their stores.  In a survey done by a small business owner in Maine, data concluded that what customers wanted to see in stock was more organic and natural products without the use of pesticides and harmful chemicals (Groening). 

The use of organic cotton has been proven to be better for the soil where grown.  Conventional cotton is sprayed numerous times during the growth period with damaging chemicals and pesticides in order to keep insects from eating away at them.  This process is extremely harmful to the soil where it is sprayed and treated.  This research will help to explain how farmers and production companies have found new and innovative ways to grow cotton organically, without the use of these destructive substances.  A lot of research has previously been done on the comparison of organically grown cotton versus chemically based, conventionally grown cotton.  What new research I want to bring to this subject is that I am going to interview management from the Co-op book store here at Indiana University of Pennsylvania (IUP), and see why or why not they choose to purchase merchandise made with organic cotton.  

Literature Review

            Overall, the research I have already found comes together to conclude that growing organic cotton is far safer and better (not only for the environment, but for the person wearing the product as well) than chemically based, conventional cotton.  A few of the sources described organic cotton in the way that it is cotton grown without the use of pesticides, artificial fertilizers, or herbicides (Welch 2007, Sustainable Cotton Project 2000, Yeldell 2006, & Green 2006).  Other articles used in the research went to the consumers for data to find whether people preferred organic versus conventional cotton, or if they just did not care.  Imhoff, Green, Groening, Sizemore, etc. all reported that when asked, consumers said they would prefer to provide themselves and their families with organically grown cotton fabric merchandise because it is all around healthier.

            When confronted with some research about the differences between organic and conventional cotton, I would like to find out why or why not the IUP co-op store does or does not resort to retailers who sells organic fabric merchandise.  When the answer is inquired I want to apply it to this research.  If the co-op store does indeed look to use organic cottons, I will be able to use it as data that consumers and companies are turning towards organic over conventional cotton.  If the co-op store does not look for companies to sell them organic products, or if they just are not aware of it, then I can still use this as information for my research by negligence. 

            Maria C. Thiry, the author of If the Environment is Important, explained in detail about the pros and cons of using organic versus conventional cottons.  She states that, “physically, organically-grown cotton fibers are identical.  ‘When you analyze the fiber there’s no difference,’ notes Cantrell [vice-president of agricultural research for Cotton Incorporated].  ‘No performance difference, no difference in strength” (Thiry, 2007).  Despite there not being any difference physically, Thiry still went on to explain the chemical and characteristic traits that are far different.  Information pulled from this article will be extremely useful in proving that organic cotton and conventional cotton are much different and cannot even be put in the same categories, even though they are both actually cottons.

            To keep research unbiased and balanced I am going to use information from the article by Dadd, named Conventional vs. Organic Cotton Clothing.  Throughout this article Dadd kept in mind that there are both benefits and withdrawals for growing, using, and purchasing organically grown cotton and conventionally grown cotton.  It is extremely important to not only look at the plus’ and minus’ of a topic, but to compare the two evenly.  I am going to need to not only compare organic cotton and conventional cotton during the growth periods, but also look at the after affects of the two cottons.  The writing from Dadd is a letter to the editor and includes the response.  Since this article is a refereed article, with a set of two responses from an outside source and the editor, I find it more informational because the outside source asked questions that I had in mind as well.

            Generally, the sources I have chosen to use to help me with my research are going to be very beneficial to me.  Almost all of the articles explained in detail the specific differences in organic and conventional cottons, the benefits as well as the setbacks in both, as well as the uses of both types of organic cottons.  Some of the articles gave me a head start in researching why consumers prefer to buy organic cottons over conventional, and why mainstream manufacturers prefer it as well.  In my research I have found that although the farming and production of organic cotton may be more time consuming, it is actually better for the soil and all around environment than conventionally or chemically based cotton. 

Methods Overview

            Other ways I am going to collect data that I have yet to do is by doing a little bit of interviewing.  I am going to relate my entire research project to the Indiana University of Pennsylvania (IUP) co-op store.  I am going to email the store director of the IUP co-op store, along with the person in charge of the collegiate apparel department.  In my emails I am going to simply ask them both if they have:

·         Ever purchased merchandise made from organic cotton for the co-op store? 

·         Whether the co-op store has ever sold any merchandise made from organic cottons?  Why or why not? 

·         If not, has the co-op store ever thought about selling merchandise made from organic cotton?

·         Have you ever looked in to the idea, searched around with prices, and thought about what is best for the environment when purchasing merchandise?

 I think the answers from the store director and head of the collegiate apparel department will be very useful in my research because I can show if (or if not) a small community like IUP is trying to make a difference by purchasing and selling organic cotton products.  The information I will gather from the interviews will be considered qualitative data because the information cannot be considered statistical in any way.  It is also qualitative data because the answers which will be received are going to be more in depth that a simple “yes” or “no.”  I will use the responses in my research to show whether an on campus book and merchandise store is concerned with the specific type of cottons they are selling.

            Another form of interview I am interested in doing is asking students here at IUP whether:

·         Are you an undergraduate student here at IUP

·         Are you male or female?

·         Are you concerned with buying any clothing products made organically?

·          Have you ever looked when shopping at what the merchandise you are interested in is made of organic cotton? 

·         Would you prefer organic over conventional cottons?

·         Do you know the difference between organic and conventional cottons?

I am going to be using a survey website named surveymonkey.com to collect my data from the students at IUP.  The website was recommended by Marlen Harrison, and it will be helpful in getting a good sample from the student population.  In my survey I am planning on only using information collected from students that are undergraduates here at IUP.  I am hoping to get a sample of a total of 50 to 75 students (depending on the amount of feedback).  The results from my survey will include quantitative data because the answers will be narrowed to a “yes,” “sometimes,” or “no, never.”  These answers will group together to give me a statistical representation of all of the responses given.  This process will help further my study by showing what percentages of consumers care about the cottons they are purchasing. 

            After all of the information and data from interviews has been collected, I will be able to start my conclusion part of this research.  I will be able to use information from the articles I have found from the EBSCO Host search engine as some sorts of background information, as well as valid testimony about the differences between organic and conventional cottons.  The answers from the co-op store director and the head of collegiate apparel department will help me narrow my research to a more specific area of the world, instead of generalizing to the entire world.  Asking the student population here at IUP will assist me in coming to a conclusion as to whether consumers are concerned with the environment enough to regulate what cottons they purchase to exclusively organic cottons.

 Results Section

            Finally, the results are in!  After researching, surveying, interviewing and digging for results, the answers are here at last.  From researching through various sources, it was concluded that “conventionally-grown cotton is considered to be the most heavily sprayed crop worldwide.  Not only do spray residues affect the soil and fiber, they also can cause problems with the use of cottonseed oil in salad dressings, baked goods as well as cotton seed fed to beef and dairy cattle,” (Sustainable Cotton Project, 2000).  From another article titled The Benefits of Organic vs. Chemically Treated Cotton the author explained, “It takes nearly a third of a pound of chemicals to grow enough cotton for one t-shirt.  It is estimated that less than 10% of the chemicals applied to cotton are accomplishing their tasks, the rest are absorbed into the plant, air, soil, water and eventually, our bodies,” (Ecology America, 1994-2008).

            From the survey titled “Organic vs. Conventional Cotton; Do you know the difference?” undergraduate students from the IUP community were asked to respond to an answer a short six question survey.  Starting with the first question of whether or not the person taking the survey was an undergraduate student at IUP, 58 of the 59 respondents answered yes to this.  Sex was another factor in the survey, and of the 59 respondents 30 were female, and 29 male.  When the surveyor was asked whether they actually knew the difference between organic and conventionally grown cotton, 14 of the respondents answered yes, 30 said to some extent, and 44 replied that they had no idea of the difference between the two.  Because not many of the people whom took the survey actually knew of the differences between the two cottons, I feel that some of the results to the further questions may be skewed or thrown off because of their lack of knowledge. 

            When the surveyors were asked if they were concerned with buying products made organically/with organic cottons 3 people answered yes/usually, 24 said sometimes and an overwhelming amount of 61 people (of 88) said no/never!  Next, when asked if they have ever looked while shopping at whether products of interest were made or produced organically, 5 said yes, 20 said sometimes and 63 of 88 surveyors said no/never.  The last thing the surveyors were asked was if they would prefer to purchase organic cotton over conventionally grown cottons, and 14 people said yes, 12 responded for one specific product, 20 said for many specific products and 42 people of the 88 total respondents said no, never. 

            Along with the great turnout of respondents from the online survey, the answers from the collegiate apparel buyer of the IUP co-op store were also extremely helpful and informational.  He explained that the very first time any organic clothing was purchased to sell in the co-op store was only about two years ago.  Money is also a huge obstacle in the process.  The collegiate apparel buyer explained that to purchase a shirt made from organic cotton it is actually “double the cost of our regular shirts, which is turn doubles the retail and most of the customers are hesitant to buy them” (Personal interview, Sharbaugh).  Lastly, Sharbaugh (the collegiate apparel buyer at the IUP Co-op Store) explained that the college market is not quite ready for the ground-breaking expansion of new organic cotton products.

Discussion

Overall from both the online survey and the personal email interview a lot of useful qualitative and quantitative data were collected that helped me find great information on the research topic. These interviews and surveys contributed to my narrowed part of the research, but also the information from an assortment of sources helped with information on the pros and cons of organic and conventional cotton alone.  The article on the Sustainable Cotton Project that explained the harms of conventional and chemically based cotton helped give evidence that not only is the soil being damaged but other forms of food and produce are harmed when cotton is grown in such a manner. 

From the Ecology America article I was able to find useful information that helped exemplify the harms of growing cotton with a chemical background and base.  As the article stated, the chemicals that are sprayed on the cotton plants does not only soak into the plant, but almost everything else around it as well.  This is a very dangerous concept because the amount of chemicals needed for one single cotton plant is a very high amount, meaning the other things being harmed are in much danger during the process.

I found that most undergraduate students (specifically in the Indiana University of Pennsylvania community), do not know very much about organic cottons or about the differences between organic and conventional.  If the person did know the difference between organic and conventionally grown products, they only sometimes were interested in purchasing products specifically made organically.  I also found many of the respondents were not concerned with purchasing organically, or even noticed whether or not the products they were interested in were organic or not.  The amount of people who did not know nor care about the differences between organic and conventional cotton really surprised me.  I feel as though the future of the earth is in the hands of the population living now, and if we continue to ignore the needs of the earth and continuously damage it there won’t be a healthy and productive earth to live on in the future.

            From the email interview I found that it is much harder for a college store to purchase and sell organic cotton merchandise than the entire retail industry alone.  The cost of selling organically grown cottons is much more expensive than conventional cotton.  I think if the cost was not a factor a lot more people in the world would be more interested and concerned with buying organic clothing, and it would be easier for small retailers (like college campus stores) to sell these items in a costly and fashionable manner.  His (the collegiate apparel buyer at the IUP Co-op store) reasoning or explanation for this was that the “college market is about a year or so behind retails and I would say there are only about 15% of the total companies that offer one or more organic styles” (Personal interview, Sharbaugh).  He also went into detail to explain that there are many “limitations with the organic lines…the items only have one or two colors to choose from and khaki is usually one of them.  It [khaki] is also one of the worst selling colors” (Personal interview, Sharbaugh).

Conclusion

            When the research first started out I was searching to find whether organic cotton was truly better for the earth, soil, person wearing it and the apparel market as a whole.  I branched out my research to include my universities campus store (the IUP Co-op store) which helped narrow my research to one specific location.  I also narrowed it by surveying IUP undergraduate students only.  In the end I found from many different sources that the soil where organic cotton is grown not only lasts a great deal longer but is healthier to a great extent as well.  I found that there are more than just initial problems with growing chemically based cottons like harm to other resources at the same time.

            Research that could be brought to the subject of organic cotton versus conventional cotton in the future could be ways that manufactures can produce a more costly and colorful collection that can be distributed to college campus stores nationwide.  This topic would be very beneficial to campus stores like the IUP Co-op store because as of now there is a very high cost to sell organic cotton merchandise.  Also it would be beneficial for someone to research whether there is a costly future for organic cotton and if it is going to be a fast-fading fad, or a concept that will last into the far future.

            All in all, organic cotton did turn out to be a more costly concept, but a far more healthy and safe idea as a whole.  In the long run, organic cotton is not only healthier for the soil where grown, but ends up being healthier for the human body as well.  Although the IUP Co-op has recently had a limited supply of merchandise made from organic cotton, and not much success has been a result of these products, there is good reasoning behind it.  Maybe in the future there will be more acceptance and room for the idea of organic cotton products that are specifically made for the college market.  Only time will tell! 

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