Cotton is the most important natural fiber used in the textile industries worldwide, amounting to 40% of the textile production. India is among the three Top cotton-producing countries (with USA and China).

 

Less than one percent of all cotton grown is organic. This continues to be dramatic for the environment because:

  • Conventionally grown cotton uses more insecticides than any other crop in the world. Each year cotton producers use as much as 25 percent of the world's insecticides and more than 10 percent of the world's pesticides; an incredible amount for one just one crop.
  • These chemicals can be deadly. Pesticides poison farmers and Factory workers who breathe in their fumes. According to the World Health Organization up to 20,000 deaths each year are caused by pesticide poisoning in developing countries.
  • The chemicals seep into run-off water after heavy rains, poisoning lakes, rivers and waterways. Pesticide residue is found in foods, farm animals and even breast milk. These carcinogens responsible for thousands of cancer cases and cause debilitating neuro-developmental deficiencies in children.
  • Chemicals on fabrics can cause skin irritation, rashes and even headaches and dizziness. For example, “easy care” garments, marketed as “antimicrobial, anti-odor and anti-wrinkle” are often saturated in formaldehyde. Other chemicals include chlorine bleach, ammonia, heavy metals and phthalates, a known endocrine disruptor.
  • Azo-Aniline dyes are also commonly used. They can cause mild to severe skin irritations in areas where friction occurs between your skin and the fabric.
 

No chemicals are used in Organic Cotton manufacturing, and the Eco-friendly low-impact and fiber-reactive dyes produce lasting vibrant colours. Consumers need to be aware that their choices can literally save the lives of our farmers, our rivers and streams and give our youth a chance to grown up in an unpolluted environment.

The Chetna Project Cultivating Organic Cotton

The Organic cotton that goes into the garments produced by RCM is farmed by Chetna Organic, working with small and marginal farmers to improve their livelihood options and make farming a sustainable and profitable occupation. This means the garments do not carry the stigma of exploited workers. Fair-Trade farmers and employees are treated with respect.

RCM and the Chetna project

RCM factories source all of their Fair Trade, organic cotton from Chetna and has been involved in the Chetna project since its inception in 2004. for more information on the Chetna Organic project: http://www.chetnaorganic.org.in

  • We are proud to support Solidaridad, a global non-profit organisation that promotes sustainability, particularly through organic cotton cultivation. We work with Solidaridad, to bring stakeholders together to ensure cotton production improves the living conditions of its growers and improves the environment.
  • We are also a member of Fair Trade India, encouraging the development of a prosperous organic cotton sector that benefits everyone from farmers to consumers.
  • We support the CHETNA farmers in India by purchasing the organic cotton before harvest. This promotes the sustainable management of natural resources, and the use of natural pest control and fertilizers, contributing not only to better environmental outcomes, but improving living standards for farmers and their families.
 
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