Organic cotton – criteria for the shopping list
It is difficult to realise fair work and trade conditions for all levels of manufacturing. Each progress that is more than just put down on some paper should be considered a success.
My shopping list says below "t-shirt": "organic cotton, pollution-free, traded fairly". But how do I recognise such a desired piece of clothing? The International Association Nature Textile Industry with its IVN label comes with the strictest ecological standards. On an international level, there will be an equivalent label called GOTS (Global Organic Textile Standard) in future. Organisations like the FairWear-Foundation from the Netherlands observe social criteria.
But far from all ecological fashion manufacturers can be monitored by an independent authority. In this respect, customers have to believe companies that "eco" and "nature" are not only standing on labels or in catalogues – and they should occasionally ask critical questions.
The NATURTEXTIL label
 IVN-Certified: Fibres from conventional forms of cultivation or keeping of animals with pesticide residue tests are admitted. Exception cotton: from certified ecological farming, and from change-over.
IVN-Certified BEST: Fibres from certified ecological farming, and fibres from change-over, are admitted.
Leo Frühschütz,
Schrot&Korn
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