06/04/2026
Last week, the USDA in partnership with HHS launched their newest program called the Great American Cotton Plan, with the goal to "strengthen the cotton farm economy, restore domestic textile manufacturing, expand cotton trade opportunities, and increase demand for products made with American-grown cotton".
They've also launched a promo campaign called "Plant Not Plastic" as a way to encourage consumers to purchase American made cotton over synthetics - very timely with the concerns raised about microplastics in recent years...
I for one, am thrilled, given the synthetic fabric soup we've been swimming in - have you been shopping lately? Try finding anything cotton... nearly impossible.
I do hope though that the officials who are putting this program together realize that if your skin, your body's largest organ, which also happens to be very porous, can absorb microplastics, it can also absorb the toxic chemicals found in herbicides and pesticides, so maybe they nudge the program towards ORGANIC cotton!
(if you want to know more check the link https://www.usda.gov/about-usda/news/press-releases/2026/05/28/usda-launches-great-american-cotton-plan-revitalize-cotton-farm-economy
