We use organic cotton
The conventional cotton industry is a vast global system. Cotton is traded on international commodity and futures markets. In the 2023/24 season, organic cotton accounted for only around 2.9% of global cotton production.¹ Wherever possible, we use organic cotton in our products.
¹ Textile Exchange (2025): Materials Market Report 2025, p. 16. Available at: https://textileexchange.org/app/uploads/2025/09/Materials-Market-Report-2025.pdf
Why organic cotton?
Compared with global cotton production, organic cotton is still a relatively rare raw material. Yet its advantages are clear: organic cotton is grown without synthetic chemical fertilisers, pesticides or genetically modified seed. Monocultures are avoided and crop rotation is practised. This helps prevent soil depletion; organic farming can also improve soil fertility. Cotton is often harvested by hand, which can result in higher quality. Toxic defoliants used for mechanical harvesting are not required. While people working in conventional cotton cultivation in Africa can be exposed to health risks from pesticides, compliance with organic farming requirements helps protect both people and the environment. Soil fertility and the quality of vital groundwater are maintained through natural methods. Pest control is also carried out naturally, for example through complementary crops or beneficial insects such as wasps. Compliance with organic farming requirements is monitored by an independent certification organisation.
Cotton farmer or customer — organic cotton offers advantages for all sides
For everyone to benefit from our collaboration in the long term, we believe it is essential to protect our resources with determination. We are therefore convinced that KAYA&KATO workwear can create value for everyone – for organic cotton farmers in Uganda as well as for our customers. Thanks to the quality of the cotton, our organic-cotton products are durable, easy to care for, resistant to tearing and abrasion, and comfortable to wear. Because organic cotton is cultivated without pesticides or toxic defoliants and no toxic chemicals are used in further processing, our workwear is also particularly kind to the skin.
Farmers in Uganda benefit from fixed purchase prices for the cultivated area, agreed before the harvest. Our partners assume the volume and quality risk. Farmers also receive an additional premium for every kilogram harvested, allowing them to plan with predictable income from the outset. They can also rely on long-term collaboration and development. Training covers soil fertility, erosion control, beneficial organisms, crop rotation and water management. Farmers have a voice in the process and are encouraged to raise their wishes and concerns.
Cotton cultivation in Uganda
Some of the organic cotton we use is grown in north-western Uganda on farmland that lay fallow for decades because of war. The region experienced around 20 years of bloody civil conflict. The last displacement camps were not closed until mid-2010, when people returned to their villages. In many cases, essential knowledge – including agricultural expertise – had been lost. However, experienced older farmers who understand organic farming in detail are still present. The land is fertile and naturally rain-fed, and its proximity to the equator allows several harvests throughout the year. Experienced farmers can achieve high yields here. Younger generations who were unable to learn farming are now receiving training.