Patagonia Regenerative Cotton

Regenerative Organic Certified Cotton programme launched by Patagonia / Source: Patagonia

AfricaAsiaCottonEuropeGood Earth CottonNorth AmericaOceaniaSouth AmericaTextiles

4 MINUTE READ

Mayer Nissim

WHAT WE SAY:

Instead of merely trying to do ‘less bad’, regenerative is about doing ‘more good’.

Here, Patagonia is attempting to show that cotton farming can have a positive impact on both the environment – by sequestering carbon with good soil care – and on the farmers – by improving economic resilience. Given all the controversy and misinformation related to cotton, we hope it ushers in a new era where natural fibres are the only sustainable and fair option.

KEY FACTS:

As part of its Regenerative Organic Certified Cotton programme, Patagonia is growing organic Cotton on farms that also rehabilitate the soil, respect animal welfare and improve the lives of farmers.
By switching to organic, low and no-till practices, regenerative farming aims to strengthen soil health, capturing carbon in the process. This has the potential to flip the agricultural system from a huge emitter of CO2 into part of the solution to the climate crisis.
After initiating the pilot programme in 2018 with 150 farmers in India, Patagonia launched its first Regenerative Organic Certified Cotton products in Spring 2022.
The range currently features nearly 20 different products in various sizes and colours, including sweatshirts, henleys, t-shirts, crewnecks and hoodies.

Men's Alpine Icon Regenerative Organic Cotton T-Shirt / Source: Patagonia

Cotton farming in India / Source: Patagonia

DIVE DEEPER:

Patagonia has exclusively used organic cotton in its lines since 1996, and in 2018 it launched the Regenerative Organic Certified holistic agriculture certification programme in conjunction with Dr. Bronner’s and the Rodale Institute.
Starting in India, the pilot is a partnership between the firm and local Indian cotton farmers. By 2021, the pilot had grown to 2,260 farmers on 5,248 acres, up from 165 farmers on 420 acres at its launch in 2018.
The programme features stringent soil health and land management requirements, as well as pasture-based animal welfare and fairness for farmers and other workers.
The goal of the pilot is to revolutionise cotton farming by using methods that trap more carbon than conventional modern techniques.
These include growing cover crops, as these increase the organic matter in the soil, which sequesters carbon and reduces erosion, while low-to-no tilling methods further help soil retain water and organic matter.
Regenerative organic farming does not use synthetic pesticides, fertilisers, genetically modified organisms, antibiotics or growth hormones – all of which are large emitters of greenhouse gases – instead using farm waste as a natural fertiliser and pesticide.
The Patagonia Regenerative Organic Cotton range is priced from USD 25 for a baby t-shirt, USD 39 for an adult shirt, and up to USD 69 for crewnecks and hoodies.
The Regenerative Organic line is Fair Trade Certified sewn, with items made in India, Sri Lanka or Mexico, and features artwork screen-printed with PVC and phthalate-free inks.
This Regenerative Organic range is just one of Patagonia’s environmental initiatives. Since 1985, the brand has pledged 1% of its sales to the preservation and restoration of the natural environment. In 2002, Patagonia founder Yvon Chouinard and Blue Ribbon Flies owner Craig Mathews launched the 1% for the Planet non-profit alliance to encourage other businesses to do the same.
Patagonia pledges to repair wear and tear damage for a reasonable charge and offers a Tenacious Tape patch kit for minor damage. Its Worn Wear collection aims to reduce waste and the use of resources by giving secondhand clothes another life.

"These practices reduce greenhouse gas emissions and could help trap more carbon than conventional agriculture."

Patagonia

Key Design Considerations:

Sustainability of organic cotton

Forget the misinformation about water use. Organic cotton can be more land intensive than genetically modified cotton. Currently, around 1% of cotton grown globally is organic. Were this to drastically rise, a large amount of land may be necessary, potentially reducing biodiversity or the ability to grow other crops. That said, GM crops are an anathema to many consumers and have limited regulatory approval, so GM-free organic is likely the present and future of sustainable clothing.

A realistic model

While we love the ‘regenerative’ vision, our fear is that the costs involved and the resulting price premium means it could easily become a virtue-signalling label for the few, rather than the systemic change for the many that we so desperately need.

Find a producer you trust

Furthermore, too many brands seem to believe that ‘organic cotton’ is de facto more sustainable than cotton without this label. First, organic cotton is facing huge accusations of fraud; second, there are uncertified producers making cotton that is far more sustainable than the vast majority of organic cotton (for example, Good Earth Cotton). It is far better to work with a producer who you trust, rather than rely on opaque arm's-length certifications.

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Patagonia Regenerative Cotton

WHAT WE SAY:

Instead of merely trying to do ‘less bad’, regenerative is about doing ‘more good’.

KEY FACTS:

DIVE DEEPER:

Patagonia has exclusively used organic cotton in its lines since 1996, and in 2018 it launched the Regenerative Organic Certified holistic agriculture certification programme in conjunction with Dr. Bronner’s and the Rodale Institute.

Starting in India, the pilot is a partnership between the firm and local Indian cotton farmers. By 2021, the pilot had grown to 2,260 farmers on 5,248 acres, up from 165 farmers on 420 acres at its launch in 2018.

The programme features stringent soil health and land management requirements, as well as pasture-based animal welfare and fairness for farmers and other workers.

The goal of the pilot is to revolutionise cotton farming by using methods that trap more carbon than conventional modern techniques.

These include growing cover crops, as these increase the organic matter in the soil, which sequesters carbon and reduces erosion, while low-to-no tilling methods further help soil retain water and organic matter.

Regenerative organic farming does not use synthetic pesticides, fertilisers, genetically modified organisms, antibiotics or growth hormones – all of which are large emitters of greenhouse gases – instead using farm waste as a natural fertiliser and pesticide.

The Patagonia Regenerative Organic Cotton range is priced from USD 25 for a baby t-shirt, USD 39 for an adult shirt, and up to USD 69 for crewnecks and hoodies.

The Regenerative Organic line is Fair Trade Certified sewn, with items made in India, Sri Lanka or Mexico, and features artwork screen-printed with PVC and phthalate-free inks.

Patagonia pledges to repair wear and tear damage for a reasonable charge and offers a Tenacious Tape patch kit for minor damage. Its Worn Wear collection aims to reduce waste and the use of resources by giving secondhand clothes another life.

Patagonia

Key Design Considerations:

Sustainability of organic cotton

A realistic model

Find a producer you trust

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