PRESS RELEASE

19 may 2006
10 YEARS OF ORGANIC COTTON

Since 1996, Patagonia has used only 100% organic cotton, in its cotton clothing.

10 years without pesticides, or toxic fertilizers, or genetically modified seeds.

Who knows that a basic cotton t-shirt needs the use of 140 g of pesticides and chemical fertilizers? Cotton may be natural, but it's one of the most toxic crops on the planet, soaking up more than 10% of the pesticides and 25% of the insecticides used worldwide. Aerial application of pesticides often results in chemical drifting over farmhouses, roads and water supplies. Quite unbelievable when one knows that these chemicals are among the most toxic substances used in farming. They are harmful to the people working in the fields, the surrounding communities and the environment in general.

There is an alternative. In 1996 Patagonia made the switch to organic. Organic cotton farming methods support biodiversity and healthy ecosystems, improve the soil quality, and often use less water than conventional cotton growing methods. Growing organically takes more time, requires more knowledge and skill, and for the moment still costs a little more.

Proselytism...

10 years ago, the whole supply chain had to be developed and put in place. We met with farmers who were eager to make the switch to restore life and health to their family farmlands. We found gins, spinners, weavers and cloth manufacturers willing to do good while creating a new source of revenue for them.

To be successful we had to persuade both our customers and other companies to help. So little organic cotton was grown then that a drought or untimely storms in the San Joaquin Valley (California) might have put a quick end to our sportswear business! We sent busloads of employees, journalists and representatives from other clothing companies to California's Central Valley to see for themselves that 'factory farming' isn't a metaphor, but a simple, stark description of the despoilment of a once beautiful landscape, and to realize what are the impact of the conventional cotton culture on the environment. We still organize 'cotton tours', every year, at the harvest time.

We would like to acknowledge the following companies which now use varying amounts of organically grown cotton in their clothing (for some of them, after having participated in a cotton tour with us): Nike (USA), Mark & Spencer (UK), Coop (Switzerland), Prana (USA), Monoprix (France), Timberland (USA) Thanks to these and similar motivated companies, organic cotton production grew by 76% (average annual growth rate between 2000 and 2005).

Let?s keep on encouraging organic grown culture. It is still marginal in relation to total production: organic cotton production represents only 0.1% of the total cotton production !

More info:

Organic cotton is not our only earth-conscious fiber. For more information on all of Patagonia's environmentally friendly fabrics, visit www.patagonia.com/envirofabrics.

Organic cotton report, by the Organic Exchange Organization, see press release: http://www.organicexchange.org/marketreport.php

Pesticides Action Network: http://www.pan-international.org/

Patagonia, with sales last year of $240M, is noted internationally for its commitment to product quality and environmental activism. Its Environmental Grants Program has contributed over $22M to grassroots environmental activists since the program began in 1985, and its Environmental Internship Program allows employees to work for environmental groups while receiving their full paycheck. Incorporating environmental responsibility into product development, the company has, since 1996, used only organically grown cotton in its clothing line, and is noted worldwide for using recycled soda bottles in many of its polyester fleece garments. Known for a unique corporate culture, the company has been recognized for many years by Working Mother magazine as one of the '100 Best Companies for Working Mothers' and is a regular recipient of recognition by Fortune and Human Resources Management magazine as one of the '100 Best Companies to Work for in America'

see more organinc cotton products in the Patagonia Section of our on-line store

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