Why Choose Organic Clothing
What is organic cotton and why are organic clothes better for us?
In order to answer this question we must go right back to the beginning of the supply chain to the cotton farmer. Conventional cotton has become increasingly dependent on chemical pesticides and fertilizers using about 10% of all agricultural chemicals and 25% of insecticides on just 3% of arable land ¿ that's more than any crop per unit. And the use of all these toxic chemicals takes its toll.
ENVIRONMENTAL DESTRUCTION - reduced biodiversity, reduced soil fertility, the pollution of water supplies.
INTOLERABLE DEBT - as the pests become resistant to the chemicals the farmer must borrow more and more money to buy more crops, whilst profits get less and less
HEALTH - The WHO (World Health Organization) estimates that 20,000 deaths and three million chronic health problems each year are the result of agricultural pesticides in developing countries. And it doesn't stop here. The next stage is processing the cotton fiber into a garment. Chlorine bleaches, formaldehyde, silicone based softeners, optical whiteners and azo dyes are all routinely used today in the processing. Many of these chemicals threaten the health of workers whilst also causing more environmental pollution. Finally, a buildup of all these chemicals are found as residues in the finished garment which may affect the health of the end user. Not wanting to cause alarm, there is another way. By adopting organic farming principles cotton can be grown in a more sustainable and socially responsible way, benefiting the farmer and the environment whilst providing your baby with the softest and healthiest baby clothes you can possibly buy. The philosophy of organic farming is to work with nature rather than against it, by balancing and producing a diverse ecosystem using natural predators and crop rotation. The result is a stronger crop which is better able to defend itself. The organic cotton crop then needs to be manufactured and this consists of several major processes including the ginning, spinning, knitting or weaving, dyeing, cutting, stitching and laundering. And throughout this process toxic chemicals are very closely monitored to ensure that no formaldehyde, silicone based softeners, heavy metals, chlorine bleaches, optical whiteners or azo dyes are used.
If we now return to the question we asked at the beginning - Why is organic clothing better for us? The answer can now be understood a little better.
By choosing organic cotton clothes you are reducing the impact of contact with chemical residues which may reduce the risk of allergies and also offering a much softer yet durable garment. Choosing organic cotton clothing has an even greater impact worldwide. Organic cotton clothes are not only a great choice for your family; they also help protect cotton producers and their families too.
Piccalilly is a Yorkshire Dales run clothing brand, run by people who love the environment they live in and who wants to source in a socially responsible way. As an ethically conscious brand they have been leading the way producing stylish ethical baby clothes and ethical children's clothes that are colorful and modern in design. As a forward thinking business we are committed to trading fairly with suppliers throughout the supply chain whilst also working towards environmental best practice. Making the right choices isn't always easy and we don't claim to do things perfectly. But on a day to day basis we try to make progress to find better solutions to what we do.
We are dedicated to sourcing products on a fair trade basis and our organic baby clothes, organic children's clothes and organic bathrobes are made from Organic FAIRTRADE Cotton - a guarantee that producers in developing countries are getting a better deal. Our organic baby clothes were recently included in a report by ETHICAL CONSUMER Magazine who gave us the seco