Agrocel, India

Where do we get our organic cotton?

Cotton clothing is something most of us wear every day, but we might think twice if we knew what it takes for it to reach the high street. Cotton is grown mostly in developing countries where production is reliant on pesticides derived from petrochemicals that are so dangerous they are illegal in 120 countries. These pesticides are so toxic that they cause an estimated 20,000 deaths and three million chronic health problems each year.

One of our Agrocel producers carrying a load of cotton

A producer paints circles on spools of cotton to try new weave patterns

Each year farmers have to use increasing amounts of pesticides on their crops just to produce the same amount of cotton as the pests gradually build up a resistance to the chemicals.

This forces many into a spiral of debt, as the purchase of agricultural chemicals - which make up most of the production costs - eats into their meagre profits . In India, thousands of have committed suicide because they had been drawn irrevocably into debt.

Agrocel provides Indian cotton farmers with an alternative way of farming cotton; it helps them go organic. Agrocel have developed natural farming methods and natural pesticides to control the pests. Farmers use chilli, garlic and soap instead of expensive and harmful chemicals, saving the farmers up to 3000 rupees per acre.

Agrocel works with 180 small scale farmers and is currently training 125 students in these farming methods.

Chakuben works with her husband at Agrocel, living in its accommodation with their two children. With the wages they earn working in the fields they can afford to them to the local primary school. At Agrocel women are paid the same as men - a rarity - and given paid maternity leave. Farmers are paid a 30% premium above the price of conventional cotton, and they receive a pension, health insurance and good medical facilities. Organic farming protects the planet by holding 1 ton of CO2 in the soil each year per acre. Farmers have used organic and Fairtrade cotton as a way to help them escape from money lenders and rebuild their lives as well as strengthen their communities. Profits are reinvested and support a cancer hospital in South India.

Orders from People Tree have helped to double the amount of land under organic cotton at Agrocel in the last two years. The organic cotton that People Tree buys is then made up into stylish garments by Assisi Garments.