Organic Cotton
In terms of high-quality cotton available globally now, all is produced in the New World, and moreover all variations and locales can trace those cottons back to Peru. With increased global demand for cotton, many issues have drawn concern around its production - from human rights issue like the usage of chattel slavery for much of its production in the past to modern examples of pesticide pollution, droughts, amongst other trends after the boom in demand after World War II.
Since 2018, MARKAWARE has been using organic cottons, with cottons that are uncertified at least having been seen to have been grown sustainably for all our products. One example of these is our Peruvian “jungle cotton” which is grown in the tropical rainforests - found at the far reaches of roads that narrow down to the width of mountain trails. In this area where it is difficult to even transport pesticides, chickens are used for pest control and rain as substitute for sprinklers. In this natural ecosystem, it is the rare sight of tall, cotton-bearing trees growing in the midst of natural cycles and divorced from excessive consumption of water and energy that shows us how robust this environment is.
In addition, in pursuit of our sustainability goals towards cotton production, we are currently establishing our own cotton plantation in Peru. With this, we believe that we will be able to deliver products made from locally harvested Pre-Organic Pima Cotton by 2023.
