Cotton is light, soft and it breathes. Perfect for t-shirts, socks and knickers. But unfortunately, cotton is also a bit of an environmental hog. Cotton requires a lot of groundwater, fertilizers and pesticides to grow, and non-organic cotton accounts for about 25% of the global consumption of pesticides. In other words, it's bad news for people, animals and the environment, and it's time to look around for a better alternative. This is where organic cotton comes into play.
Organic farming takes place without dangerous pesticides or artificial fertilisers, uses less groundwater and is generally kinder to the environment and farmers. Great! So why isn't all cotton clothing produced in organic cotton? In short, it's more expensive (and the final price goes up), and it can be difficult to get hold of enough. We are working on the matter, and luckily there is more and more organic cotton on the market.
Organic cotton is better because:
1. It does not use toxic pesticides, which can harm people, animals and the environment.
2. Emphasis is placed on conserving ground water and protecting the soil (preventing exhaustion and drought) through, among other things, crop rotation, composting and natural decay processes, while the soil is not exposed to chemicals that can be harmful.
3. Is overall better for the environment.
But what is GOTS certified organic cotton?
Norway has no standard for organic textiles, and it is perfectly legal to call a garment organic even if it is not certified by a third party, and even if only minor parts of the material composition come from organic farming. In other words, a spade is not a spade when it comes to organic textiles. Say, for example, that 20% of your t-shirt is made from organic cotton and the rest from conventional cotton production - is it then correct to call it organic? Do you find it confusing? At least we think so. We also believe that it can be misleading, and that it places too much responsibility on you as a consumer. We have therefore chosen to go the somewhat cumbersome route and GOTS-certify our cotton underwear for children and adults.