Organic cotton is cotton grown without pesticides or chemical additives to fertilise, relying instead on methods with less ecological impact. Conventional cotton farming is one of agriculture's most environmentally destructive activities. It takes an enormous toll on the earth's air, water, and soil, and significantly affects the health of people living in cotton growing areas.A typical conventional cotton t-shirt uses about 150 grams of acutely toxic pesticides and insecticides; that's the size of a cup of sugar. Organic farming methods benefit farmers and their communities by:Preventing and reducing farmer debt

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• Improving food stability for farmers as a result of crop rotation
• Preventing pollution of the water table
• Preventing potential fatal pesticide poisoning of farmers and their families
• Improving and maintaining biodiversity
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To achieve organic certification, only azo-free dyes are used in the dying process and all effluent is properly treated.  In addition, the traceability of organic cotton right back down the supply chain means that it is the only cotton that you can be certain is GM free. Different levels of certification exist, but at a minimum, a crop must be grown in soil that has been chemical-free for at least three years. 

The certification body used for our t-shirts is called The Control Union (formerly called SKAL). This is the largest organic textile certification body in Europe and Asia. In addition to this, The Control Union are covered by an umbrella organization called The Global Organic Textile Standards (GOTS). GOTS not only ensures the environmental status of the cotton but also the social aspect of the manufacturing chain. Making sure everyone is paid fairly and working conditions are acceptable. 

The factory where our t-shirts are made is also a member of the FairWear Foundation. This is an independent auditing agency that checks that textile factories are operating fairly in regards to its employee’s wages and working conditions. 

The factory is located in the town of Denizli which is in the central southern part of Turkey. The cotton is grown to the south along the Aegean coast. All transportation is by road.

DenizliTown

The area is famous for Pamukkale (Cotton Castle). Here unique geological formations of white travertine terraces and petrified waterfalls created over the millennia by the calcium oxide-rich waters that flow down the mountains. The succession of terraces creates a series of basins full of mineral water that flow downhill into the basins below, forming smooth and gigantic stalactites.

The snow-white walls of "Cotton Hill." Turkish folklore says that the white hills are formed when giants left cotton out to dry.