Organic cotton: Chetna, India (Fair-trade certified)

Cap: Cut and sewn in India by Dibella Ltd (GOTS, SA8000 certified factory)

Dibella’s mission is to improve the livelihoods of small-scale, marginalised cotton farmers and textile workers. The organic cotton is Fair-trade certified and sourced from Chetna Organic who work with marginalised farmers from Maharashtra, Odessa and Andhra Pradesh towards improving their livelihoods and making farming a sustainable occupation. 

Dibella's factory is GOTS, Fairtrade and BSCI certified. 420 workers are employed at the factory, 97% of whom are women. The factory runs a number of social projects called 'Sustainable Development Pillars’ and these have a particular focus on women and children. The first pillar invests in education; providing equipment and resources to local schools. The second invests in hygiene; providing medical care, check ups and training on personal hygiene. The third pillar gives training in sustainable farming techniques and the fourth focuses on female empowerment; providing additional training opportunities to the women who work in the factory. 

Organic cotton helps farmers escape the health risks and financial burden of toxic chemicals involved in conventional cotton production. It also helps wider communities by maintaining (rather than draining) the local water supply and keeping it clean.

Knowledge Cotton Apparel's second and third tier suppliers (fabrics and raw materials) are based in the same geographical region as products are cut and sewn. The reduces the carbon footprint of their products compared to other fashion supply chains where it is common for inputs to cross back and forth around the world.

GOTS living wage policy currently only requires that national legal standards are met. Collaborating with an organisation like the Fair Wear Foundation would allow KCA to advance the complex topic of a real living wage for garment workers.