Eli Whitney was just trying to help. Before he invented the cotton gin in 1793, workers removed cotton seeds from the fiber by hand, cleaning one pound a day. Using his simple machine, a single person could clean 50 pounds. In just a few years, this labor-intensive plant of dubious profit potential became one of the country’s preeminent cash crops. With cotton as his muse, Whitney had launched the Industrial Revolution.

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One-quarter of all insecticides and one-tenth of all pesticides are applied to conventionally grown cotton. This directory promotes sustainable alternatives and links the worldwide cotton chain, from growers to gins, mills, manufacturers and retailers.

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According to the Organic Trade Association Fiber Council, U.S. organic cotton acreage increased 15-fold since 1990, when only 900 acres were grown. During 2000, an estimated 13,460 acres of certified organic and transitional cotton were planted in six states. This is 43% more than the 9,368 acres planted in 1998.

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