At first glance it may seem strange that natural and organic bedding products, without industrial chemicals, toxins and pesticides, should cost more than conventional bedding. Remember that industrialization over the past century was developed to produce products as cheaply as possible, and as quickly as possible, for maximum profit. After WWII, industrial mass production and farming industries exploded with phenomenal investment in the latest, most efficient, artificial crop production and manufacturing processes.

Millions of tons of chemicals have saturated our foods, fabrics, soils, air and water. But the only result that matters to corporations: consumers annually buy billions of dollars of unbelievably cheap artificial bedding and chemically saturated cottons. Just look at happy mass retailers both online, and offline.

Organic farming and production initiatives are not supported by enormous government and industry investment and management, and never will be. In fact, industry lobbyists have been fighting the organic industry for some time now. There is a shortage of organic farms in North America because most organic farms here can only hope to earn a meager living without customary industry and government price supports that govern conventional farming and production, on the lions share of open farmland.

Organic cottons, woolens, and natural rubber for organic bedding are painstakingly farmed and processed to ensure as much purity, environmental sustainability, natural soil replenishment, and humane practices, as possible. This takes a great deal of time and patience, on small farms and cooperatives that can't afford large tracts of land.

New organic certification standards are now in place in North America and around the world, requiring regular oversight to ensure products labeled "organic" meet stringent guidelines, from sustainable farming through production processes, that ensure purity, environmental sustainability, Fair Trade practices, and humane treatment of workers, and animals.

Enforcement requires a great deal of coordination, especially at the international level, and a lot of dedicated, good people, who need to be paid. Right now, organic products can be pricey, but most organic bedding, natural bedding and organic cotton products are the heirloom quality our ancestors took for granted; and provide natural protection for better health.

Susan Fullen-Yurek of Kushtush. com Organics, http://www. kushtush. com, is an e-commerce entrepreneur committed to supporting environmentally sustainable initiatives through marketing, research and education.

Author:
Susan Yurek