The word organic is popping up everywhere, even on clothes, but does buying organic cotton, for example, really make a difference?

In California's San Joaquin Valler, Windfall Farms started growing organic cotton in 2001.

So how does this look different that conventional cotton?

Windfall's Mark Fickett said, "You would not see green in the field because we would've used a chemical defoliant to remove the leaves and dry up the plant."

Conventional cotton is the largest user of pesticides worldwide. They say that is why you pay more for organic,

"There's higher labor costs. Instead of spraying chemicals, they hire people to do things like, put out ladybugs to control pests.

"We work with farmers to test out alternative methods to chemicals," said Lynda Grose with Sustainable Cotton.

The Sustainable Cotton Project shows farmers how and why to go organic.

"The pollution that comes from the chemicals that grows the crops doesnt just happen here in Firebaugh it becomes air born."

The area has one of the highest asthma rates and is known as a cancer cluster.

Frank Williams with Windfall Farms said, "We're living in an eco system that we're living eating and breathing what we're doing so the better we can do things maybe we'll all benefit."

So buying organic helps workers' health and cuts environmental pollution.