In this article we look at how regenerative cotton is key to the future of sustainable fashion. The European Week for Waste Reduction in defense of a much greener culture, focused on the reuse of products that could be considered as waste but actually still have a long useful life, has just ended. And this year, the initiative has focused on the textile industry, under the theme Circular and Sustainable Textiles, with the aim of inspiring actions that bring more circularity to the textile sector.
At Evlox, we are committed to the sustainability of the textile sector. Among the many initiatives we carry out, today we would like to tell you about the latest one we have adopted: the use of Regenagri certified regenerative cotton. If you are not familiar with this initiative, keep reading as we will tell you all about it.
What is Regenagri
The Regenagri initiative exists to support farmers and companies that choose to initiate a transition to regenerative practices, taking care of the health of the land and the people who live on it.
As an international agricultural initiative, Regenagri helps businesses achieve new levels of sustainability. Launched in June 2020, it supports the health of the land and the wealth of those who live on it, promoting regenerative agriculture to minimize the environmental footprint of all sectors.
Regenagri works on the continuous improvement of regenerative methodology, that use different practices, including:
- Minimum tillage.
- Cover cropping.
- Five-crop rotation.
- Reforestation.
- Natural buffer zones.
Optimization in these practices creates great opportunities for greater carbon sequestration, increased biodiversity and improved soil health, among other benefits.
Currently, half a million hectares of land are under the Regenagri regenerative agriculture system.
According to Regenagri: If all the world’s agricultural land were converted to a regenerative system, it would have the capacity to capture more than 37.5 Gt of carbon per year, more than the current level of global emissions.
That is still a long way off, but already many farms and organizations have committed to the transition to holistic agriculture, increasing soil health, promoting biodiversity, reducing greenhouse gas emissions and sequestering CO2.
As we already know, the fashion industry is one of the most polluting industries, mainly due to water pollution and greenhouse gases, hence the importance of joining this initiative. At Evlox, we’re in.
Organic vs. regenerative cotton
While conventional cotton production accounts for around 80% of the production of the planet, organic cotton accounts for around 1% of the world’s supply of this fiber, mainly in India. However, regenerative agriculture goes beyond organic agriculture because, in addition to omitting chemicals, it aims to regenerate natural ecosystems, seeking to replenish and strengthen plant life, animal life, soil and the surrounding nature.
The soil needs a community of microorganisms to help it grow healthy plants, capture carbon and absorb water properly. Conventional types of agriculture destroy these microscopic life forms; in contrast, regenerative agriculture helps to rebuild them.
In the case of textiles, the excellent reception of this initiative by major brands is an indicator of the industry-wide movement towards regeneratively produced cotton.
Regenerative fashion, beyond sustainable fashion
Regenerative fashion refers to clothing made from materials produced with regenerative agriculture, whose pillars are animal welfare, fairness for farmers and workers and stringent requirements for soil health and land management.
As Regenagri says, by supporting regenerative agriculture, we help regenerate our planet and sustainably secure the future of agricultural products and their supply chains.
By following regenerative practices, the fashion industry has a real opportunity to make amends for its impact on the planet and reverse a situation that no one is overlooking anymore, as consumers are increasingly aware of the importance of the environmental impact of industrial sectors and their brands. Ethical fashion is no longer an option but an obligation.
Together with the recent Law on Waste and Contaminated Soil that we discussed in a previous post, there are many initiatives that are paving the way for responsible, circular, sustainable, ethical and, as we have just seen, regenerative fashion.
The time to move towards a sustainable future in the textile sector is now, and at Evlox we are taking steps along this path of no return, towards a future that respects life in all its forms. If you want to know more about our commitment to a sustainable future, visit the link to the Evlox sustainability section.
