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Cotton & Textile
Cotton is the most pesticide intensive
crop cultivated on Earth. A large percentage of pesticides in the
food chain and in the environment can be attributed to this crop
alone. Worldwide there are concerns to first bring cotton under
organic management. Also, cotton cultivation under rain-fed farming
is dependent on very high levels of input use, increasing the risk
for the farmers. Any failure, leads to debt trap and many farmer
suicides can be linked to this.
At Morarka Organic, while there have
been social concerns to find solutions to the problems of cotton
cultivators in dry regions, there has also been demand from consumers
and trade to provide them organic cotton and textile products made
out of organic cotton.
Beginning from Maharashtra, we have
been working with cotton farmers engaged in traditional cultivation,
educating them about sustainable and organic methods of production,
while preserving and promoting their traditional skills. Conversion
to organic has reduced the cost of cultivation as well as increased
the net realization for the farmers. With the result, today Morarka
Organic is recognized as a leading producer of certified organic
cotton in India.
After having established links between cotton
farmers and trade for many years, Morarka Organic now has also gone
for value added products. A retail brand is being promoted called 'Back To Basics'. Cultivation of cotton without the use of any
synthetic fertilizers, poisonous pesticides, artificial growth
regulators, irradiation or defoliants ensures the very best quality
of raw material for clothing. We are innovating new yarn making and
weaving techniques to make use of indigenous varieties of cotton
cultivated under traditional rain fed farming systems in ecologically
fragile areas.
All textile products are certified by the
Global Organic Textile Standard (GOTS). The standard ensures organic
status of the textile. It covers all aspects of processing,
manufacturing, packaging, labeling, exportation, importation and
distribution of cotton, to provide credible assurance to the end
consumer.
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