Organic Cotton or natural cotton is grown without the use of pesticides, herbicides or chemical fertilizers. Organic agriculture (food or fibre) protects the health of the people and the plant by reducing the overall exposure to toxic chemicals which can end up in the ground, water, air and food supply where the crop is being grown. Organic Cotton also uses crop rotation methods, hand weeding and cover crops methods to ensure healthy growth. To be classified as an organic crop, it must be grown in soil that has been free of prohibited substances for at least three years prior to harvest.