Cotton is comfortable, biodegradable, and affordable. Cotton comprises 24.5% of total worldwide fiber used to make clothing. China, India, and the United States grow over half the world's cotton. 

Heavy pesticide use is employed to grow cotton - 222,000 tons per year. 
Fertilizer use is heavy with 8.8 million tons per year. Cotton may require 2,168 gallons of water and is grown in many water scarce areas. 

Cotton's impact on the environment is substantial and finding sustainable ways  to produce it will be beneficial.