Information on organic clothing and organic farming

Is organic and fair trade the same, or at least similar?

No, organic farming and fair trade are not the same.
Nevertheless, both aspects are very important to the people who produce our clothes.
In organic cultivation, the health of the workers is not endangered by the use of chemicals. And under fair trade conditions, workers are rewarded fairly and appropriately for their work.

What does "conventional cultivation" stand for?

- contaminates water, air and soil
- endangers the safety of the cotton farmers
- destroys flora and fauna

Conventionally grown cotton is one of the most pesticide-treated crops. Irrigation, use of pesticides, defoliants, insecticides and other environmental toxins leads to massive environmental damage and the depletion of natural resources.
In addition, the high use of these chemicals will cost a lot of cotton workers their health or even their lives. The chemicals also contaminate the groundwater resulting in a lack of drinking water in the surrounding area. This situation of the local population is aggravated by the fact that dispersed insecticides, fertilizers and wilting agents cause diseases in humans.

Cotton plants place high demands on soil quality. Due to the intensive use (and fertilization), the soil is drained and unproductive after a few years of conventional cotton cultivation. Salination and erosion of the soil increasingly affect large areas of formerly fertile arable land and make the fields worthless.

What means "organic farming"?

- Natural farming
- Avoid polluting substances
- Reduce water consumption

In the organic cultivation of cotton no pesticides, insecticides, and fertilizers are used. Every two or three years, there is a crop rotation. Fertilization takes place using only natural substances. For weed and pest control, exclusively biological methods are used. Defoliants are banned; the cotton is picked by hand. As a result, the ecological balance on the fields is ensured; soil, air and water are not contaminated with harmful substances, and the health of the cotton workers is not affected.

Why organic farming?

Conventional cotton farming causes heavy pollution of the environment. An often-cited example illustrates the severity: Only about 2.5% of the total global agriculture area is used for cotton production. At the same time, 11% of the pesticides used worldwide and 25% of the world's insecticide consumption are spent on those areas. The toxic insecticides and pesticides are harmful to the people who work in the fields and the processing industries and they permanently damage the environment.
The chemicals also lead to long term erosion of the soil. Once happened, the erosion is irreversible.
Furthermore, these chemicals pose a risk to the final customer since not all particles can be washed out of the cotton textiles and come into contact with the buyer’s skin.
The chemical residuals endanger anyone but especially those with sensitive skin such as babies and toddlers.

For the production of a conventional T-shirt, approximately a total of 150 g pesticides and insecticides are spent. In the production process of organic cotton, no chemicals are applied. Farmers benefit from organic farming methods because they don’t have to buy the expensive pesticides and insecticides whose consumption often drives the farmer families into debt.
In addition, the contamination of groundwater and drinking water with poisonous substances is prevented.
Furthermore, in organic farming, the cotton is planted on the fields alternating with other crops. This method ensures the supply with food for the local people.