Cotton is the most important textile fiber in the world based on consumption and production data. Predictions indicate that the cotton sector will continue to experience strong growth in the near term. Despite general consumer perception that cotton is environmentally safer to produce than manmade fibers, cotton growing involves the use of a range of large quantities of pesticides and fertilizers. Growing cotton organically contributes to sustainable world agriculture, and the end products represent an environmentally safe alternative to those grown under conventional conditions. The development of naturally colored cottons, which eliminates the need to dye end products, is also an important trend in the organic cotton sector. A comparison between conventional and organic cotton growing focuses on methods to eliminate the waste of harvested cotton; apply herbicides and insecticides; fertilize; sow seeds; harvest; test for fiber quality; and calculate costs and prices. 8 refs.