Organic cotton
The mallow plant is a heat and water loving plant. Cotton (Gossypium) is grown in tropical to subtropical countries. The so-called cotton belt stretches from China and India through Turkey and Central Africa to Central America and the southern United States. Cotton takes eight to twelve months to reach harvest maturity. The fibers grow in bolls, which are harvested when ripe and separated into cotton seeds and cotton fibers in a mechanical process. This step is called ginning or seed removal. The cotton fibers obtained are about 15 to 50 mm in length. After ginning, the cotton is pressed into bales of about 220 kg. The seed is used for oil extraction. The cotton fibers are graded and sorted according to international standards. The longer and finer the cotton fibers are, the higher their quality is rated. The natural color of cotton fiber can range from creamy white to dirty gray. Cotton is one of the most important raw materials for the global textile industry. Cotton fiber accounts for about 30% of the world fiber market. Less than 1% of it is grown organically. Serious consequences for people and the environment are being discussed in connection with conventional cotton cultivation. In particular, the use of genetically modified seeds, the high use of pesticides and the water consumption during cultivation.
Our contribution
Kianao has been committed to the use and cultivation of certified organic cotton for many years. Today, almost all items like organic baby clothes at Kianao are made from 100% certified organic cotton. And the proportion of organic cotton in the fiber blends is also steadily increasing. Materials with a fiber content of more than 30% cotton must demonstrably come from 100% certified organic cultivation. Cotton accounts for around 67% of Kianao's total fiber consumption. To ensure that Kianao's requirements are met, attention is paid to detailed documentation. Each Kianao supplier proves the fiber qualities with corresponding certificates.
Did you know...
- Cotton is a renewable resource and compostable
- it is estimated that 20,000 people worldwide die every year from pesticide poisoning in agriculture (source: WHO)
- with the purchase of a single cotton T-shirt made of organic cotton, you save about 7m² of cultivated land from pesticides and artificial fertilizers (source: Umweltinstitut München e.V.)
- Conventional cotton cultivation for a single T-shirt consumes up to 2000 liters - more than ten bathtubs full. (Source: Umweltinstitut München e.V.)
- Organic cotton is 20% more expensive to grow than conventional cotton (Source: Die Verbraucher Initiative e.V.)