Organic Clothing
For Machja, organic clothing is the result of several inseparable
elements:
- certified organic cotton
- eco-friendly dye
- an ethical production
- a trendy cut
- excellent value for your money
Organic cotton has only advantages
Why give priority to organic clothing and organic cotton? Clothes
made of cotton are typically considered as “natural” products
because they are not made of synthetic fibers. While this is true,
it is important to note that cotton crops represent 3% of all cultivated
areas and yet are responsible for 25% of the pesticides in the world. Conventional
cotton cultivation is more polluting than any other kind of farming.
Cotton growing is said to adversely affect 25 million people
every year. Farm pesticides kill 20,000 people every year, and
107 products that contain pesticides are suspected to be linked to cancer.
Organic cotton growing doesn’t use any pesticides or fertilizers.
Farmers don’t have to manipulate these dangerous toxic products,
thus preserving their health and the environment. Moreover, organic farming
keeps the soil clean and productive by using only natural fertilizers
and by rotating crops.
Organic cotton doesn’t only guarantee respect for the environment
and for the individual, it is also an indisputably soft and comfortable
hypoallergenic fabric. It is all thanks to its pesticide-free production
which does not aggress and contaminate the fiber.
Naturally organic cotton must be certified by specialized agencies. Machja
only uses organic cotton that has been certified by several independent
agencies:
SKAL : This inspection and certification body for organic production
in the Netherlands is member of the European Organic Certifiers Council.
The use of the EKO Quality Mark is restricted to organic companies certified
by Skal and is only allowed on products containing more than 95% organic
ingredients.
IMO : The Institute for Marketecology (IMO) is one of the first
and most renowned international agencies for inspection, certification
and quality assurance of eco-friendly products.
FairTrade
Our charter is based on respect for human work and following the basic
principles of fair trade on our production lines.
Fair Trade guarantees:
- A direct business relationship and long-term contract between
small producers from the South and importers from the North
- A fair price for the work of producers, covering production,
environmental and social costs, while leaving a margin for investment
- A system of guaranteed minimum price even if commodity prices
drop
- Pre-order financing
- Respect for labor rights defined by the ILO
- Transparency
- Environmental-friendly agricultural practices
- Support for producers to help them develop theirs techniques:
transition to organic farming, elimination of child labor ...
- Investment in local development to benefit communities
(Source : Guide Solar du Commerce Equitable, Carine Keyvan et Nathalie Frachon, éd.Solar, 2007)
