Nice ShirtIs that GM Cotton? How Genetically Modified Cotton is Taking OverElizabeth Renter According to The Telegraph, British author Simon Ferringo says that only 12 countries in the world actually grow genetically modified cotton, but that their crops account for the majority produced in the world. In the United States and elsewhere, the cotton is genetically modified to resist pests. The large prevalence of GM cotton means finding organic cotton is getting more and more difficult and is coming at a heftier price. Some retailers have formed a sustainable cotton consortium. The companies, known as The Better Cotton Initiative, include Tesco, Sainsburys, HM, Adidas, MS, and Nike. While they currently have little control over whether or not they are using GM cotton, the companies are working towards more sustainable options. Larger brands tend to do a lot of blending using organic alongside non-organic. The issue is partly about shortage of supply of organic cotton, due to the dominance of the GM corporations. That is why the campaign is pressing big brands to sign up and drive the demand for organic, non-GM cotton, said a spokesman for the group. By making the cotton crops resistant to pesticides, farmers are encouraged to use even more pesticides with little adverse effects to the crop. This makes an already toxic business potentially even more toxic. As we reported earlier this year, GM cotton is having tragic effects in India. The suicide rate among Indian cotton farmers has skyrocketed since the introduction of Monsantos Bt cotton in 2002. Why? Because the price of seeds has skyrocketed, and with little alternate options, farmers are being stretched thin. About one Indian farmer killed himself every 30 minutes in 2009, for a grand total of 17,638 in that year alone. Their harvests are low and prices are high. The suicide phenomena has become known as The GM Genocide. Farmers are killing themselves so that we can have our GM cotton t-shirts and socks. Its difficult to truly grasp the gravity of this matter, but the fact isits happening now and its happening, in a large part, due to the GMO industry. This article first appeared at Natural Society, an excellent resource for health news and vaccine information. 