After committing to organic cotton in 1996, Patagonia began supporting farmers to grow cotton using Regenerative Organic Certified® practices, which prioritizes organic, no- and low-till methods that build healthy soil and respect the welfare of people and animals. They piloted a first crop of Regenerative Organic Certified cotton in India in 2018, working with more than 150 farmers to implement this highest organic standard. Since then, the cotton program has grown to include over 1,000 farmers.

An ever-growing number of our products are Fair Trade Certified™ for sewing, which means we pay a premium to the workers in the factories that make them. The Fair Trade program also helps to create better working conditions and safeguards against the use of child labor.

fairtradecertified.org

Farmers who grow their cotton without harmful chemicals reduce their reliance on big agrochemical companies and reduce their workers’ exposure to potentially toxic and carcinogenic compounds. Organically farmed cotton employs nature-based solutions to manage pests and to build healthy soil, instead of the synthetic pesticides, herbicides, defoliants, fertilizers and GMO seeds used to grow conventional cotton.