organic cotton
Why choose Organic cotton?
Seen as a clean pure and natural fibre, conventional cotton farming is one of the world hidden horrors.
Chemical fertilizers result in water pollution, soil erosion and loss of eco systems.
Only 2.5% of the world farmland is used for conventional cotton but this takes
10 % of the world’s chemicals pesticides and 22% of the world’s insecticides.
In fact one average teacup of chemicals is used to produce just one cotton T shirt.
Farmers, workers and the community are exposed to high levels of toxins leading to severe health problems and a shortened life expectancy.
Our range of organic cotton is grown on 100% Control union farms. These farmers and their families have a brighter and healthier future. Debts from buying expensive pesticides are reduced. The improved land is sustainable and safe production is restored.
Organic cotton in conversion
Converting from conventional methods to organic farming is a done over two to three years, sometimes more.
Cotton in organic conversion is cotton produced in the period of change between conventional and organic.
Using organic in conversion cotton, encourages more conventional farms to convert and sustains the producers in the conversion stage.
Only cotton farmed to the standards of the Fairtrade foundation is given the Fairtade Mark.
The FairTrade Mark guarantees that our cotton producers are given:
• A fair and stable price, set by the Fairtrade Foundation
• A Fairtrade Premium to invest in social and environmental projects
• The means to develop sustainable methods of farming avoiding pesticide use
• The opportunity to work with other farmers in democratic co-operatives
When making the choice of work wear manufactured with fair-trade cotton for your workforce you are:
Actively improving the lives of farmers and their families.
Enabling more cotton farmers to change from health and eco damaging methods to organic.
Lowering the carbon footprint of your companies clothing supply.
Is all organic cotton good?
Organic can be seen as ethical, eco friendly and very much in fashion.
There unfortunately is a down side. Whenever a commodities demand exceeds supply then some one, somewhere is exploited.
As demand for organic cotton has increased, there is evidence of workers being exploited and child labour being used to harvest the crops.
At ethicalworkwear.com we carefully select our organic and organic in conversion ranges that use safe farming and production methods and the highest ethical standards.