At GREEN SHIRTS all products from Organic t-shirts to sweatshirts are made of 100% organic cotton and produced in socially and ecollogically fair way. For each organic cotton product you buy, the demand for organic cotton increases and in the end the proportion of ecological and sustainable agriculture in our economic system is increasing. In general cotton is hypoallergenic, soft, breathable, easy to wash and very durable. And therefore cotton became standard on clothing production. Be part of a movement to make socially and ecologically sustainable processes an intrinsic value of our economic trading system. Let organic cotton become your standard of wear.

What means organic cotton?

Organic cotton prevents the leaching of cultivable land and allows the continous existence of permanently fertile soils and a nurture ground for a biodiversity of insects, birds and other animals. For a KbA certification (certified organic cultivation) the soil has to be farmed without synthetic and chemical fertilizers for three years. Of course it includes the organic cotton seed, which has to be free of GMO. Instead certain species of insects are used as natural pesticides. 

In order to avoid one-sided usage and a subsequent loss of nutrients, a certain crop rotation must be maintained. This means cotton is allowed to grow on the same field only once every three years. In between other organic products can be cultivated, so the farmers are able to secure their own diet or resell it.

Humus is a natural plant fertilizer, since it stores nutrients. Conventional cotton plantations have a much thinner layer of humus, as the nutrients are added artificially by chemical fertilizers and pesticides. In contrast, a thick humus layer is required for organic cotton. This allows for a better storage and retainment of water in the soil and thus also restricts further water consumption. Our cotton is grown in India, where 90% of the water used is obtained from the monsoon rain. Artificial irrigation can thus be reduced to a minimum or avoided completely. (Image © Better Cotton Initiative)

Why is organic cotton so expensive?

Basically, organic cotton is about 20-40% more expensive than conventional cotton, but the higher price is compensated by higher quality. Because no defoliants may be used, the organic cotton is not mechanically harvested, but by hand. This leads to higher quality, because no foul fibers, capsules or leaf pieces are sneeking into the yield.  Conventionally farmed cotton is responsible for 20-25% of worldwide used insectiside and 10-12% of worldwide herbicide usage. These are completely avoided during organic cotton production. Going further, while being more expensive, organic cotton farming methods ensures the sustainable use of the fertile soil. This avoids the creation of future costs to restore soil degradation, some of them even irreversible, while sustaining the economic basis or rural livelihoods.

The potential of organic cotton

20 years of organic cotton cultivation has shown that sustainable production is possible. However, to emerge out of the niche and thus giving more families the opportunity to achieve sustainable farming, the demand for fair and ecological clothing must increase. 

Certificates and Eco-Labeling of Fashion

Recent 'Eco Label' flooding leaves consumers uncertain. Certificates like 'Green Cotton' or guarantees like 'made from untreated cotton' or 'hand-picked' say very little. The most trustworthy certificates are the "Fair Wear Foundation", "Soil Association" and the "KBA" (certified organic agriculture). These guarantees a higher quality, ultimately leading to a finer fabric while also considering socio-economic aspects of production.