In 1995, Blue Fish founder Jennifer Barclay first learned of the damaging effect of traditionally grown cotton on a global scale. She changed our production habits immediately.
We now use organically grown & ethically produced fabrics whenever possible. We are happy to do our part to help support a healthier people and planet. We feel responsible for the clothing we make and we want our customers to be healthy and happy, too!
We feel strongly about our commitment to organic materials--that's why we want to tell you a little about organic cotton farming.
WHAT DOES ORGANIC MEAN?
Organic is a term you hear a lot these days. It can be used very loosely, but when we say it, we mean something has been “certified organic.” This means the product has been submitted to stringent standards. These standards include:
- Avoidance of synthetic chemical inputs not on the National List of Allowed and Prohibited Substances (e.g., pesticides, antibiotics, food additives, etc.), genetically modified organisms, irradiation, and the use of sewage sludge
- Use of farmland that has been free from prohibited synthetic chemicals for a number of years (often, three or more);
- Keeping detailed written production and sales records
- Maintaining strict physical separation of organic products from non-certified products;
- Undergoing periodic on-site inspections. (Wikipedia)
The importance of buying organic starts in the field. The impact on farmers’ lives who have chosen to raise organic crops is huge! 
Currently, traditional cotton agriculture uses twenty-five percent of insecticides and ten percent of the world’s pesticides, but represents only three percent of the world’s crops.
Growing cotton with pesticides is bad for the farmer’s health, so often farming is done mainly by men. If you remove the chemicals and pesticides from the equation, farming can be family affair with very little detrimental health factors. This has proven to be the case in many parts of the world.
Organic cotton is never treated with chemical fertilizers, pesticides, or other dangerous chemical agents. Additionally, no chemicals are applied in the harvesting, cleaning, spinning, or knitting of organic cotton. This also means that the chemicals used in conventional cotton aren’t being released into the air and surface water during farming or processing.
Beneficial insects keep other bugs under control, crop rotation maintains fertility, and weeds are battled with precision tilling. When the first frost of winter comes, the cotton readies itself for picking according to a seasonal rhythm. Organic cotton is grown from the heart, as well as the soil, by farmers who care about the earth and everyone on it.
WHY BUY ORGANIC CLOTHING?
- You are buying a product that is good for you
- You are doing something good for the environment
- You are doing something good for farmers and producers
- It is durable, long-lasting, & higher quality than non-organic clothing
WHY WEAR ORGANIC CLOTHING?
Most people haven’t thought about how much our bodies can absorb from our clothing. Don’t forget: your skin is your largest organ, and toxins used on your clothes will be absorbed into your lymph system.
Clothes that have been treated with chemicals and materials that were treated with pesticides may still have toxins on them when you wear them. More and more people are developing allergies and chemical sensitivities to these toxins.
If you have an allergy, you may benefit from organic cotton clothing, as conventional cotton can retain many harmful chemical residues. But, even if you don’t have sensitive skin or allergies, organic cotton will just feel better against your skin!
Regardless of your reasons for choosing organic clothing... you made the right choice! Thank you for stopping by our web store to check out our beautiful, hand-made organic pieces.
