Cottover Collection 2025

COTTOVER ® COMPLIANCE FAIRTRADE STANDARD 100 by OEKO-TEX ® GLOBAL ORGANIC TEXTILE STANDARD – GOTS We could go on and on about Fairtrade. It’s that amazing, and we’re delighted about the fact that Cottover is able to contribute. In short, Fairtrade is an international certification of raw materials grown in countries with widespread poverty. The certification means that the product is produced in accordance with high social, economic, and environmental standards. But Fairtrade is so much more, always protecting the people behind the products. Approximately one quarter of the world’s working population is employed in agriculture, and it’s in this category that Fairtrade has its focus. Behind the products we consume on a daily basis there are people who grow and produce goods such as coffee, bananas, wine and the cotton in the clothes we wear. Different criteria have been developed for farmers in cooperatives, employees on plantations, and for different raw materials. All criteria focus on humans. Fair conditions for all All human beings have the right to fair conditions at work and in life. You, me and everyone else. An important part of Fairtrade’s work is to ensure that both farmers and employees can lift themselves out of poverty, and thereby improve their working and living conditions. Helping people to help themselves. By bringing farmers together in Fairtrade-certified cooperatives so that they can sell their cotton collectively, they gain access to a larger international market with the potential for increased sales. They also receive a minimum price for the raw material, which acts as a safety net for the farmer when the world market price is low. Today, millions of children work instead of going to school, because their parents’ income is simply not enough to support their families. At the same time, we know that education is one of the most important factors in reducing poverty. With higher incomes, children can actually go to school. The sale of the raw material also generates a premium for the farmers, which is often used to build schools. The premium can also be used for business investments or community development projects, such as health care, education, improved infrastructure and conversion to organic farming. The tough cotton industry The industry for cotton farmers is tough and millions of small-scale farmers in countries with widespread poverty depend on cotton for their livelihood. The cotton flower grows on shrubs that thrive in dry climates, where there is a natural shortage of water, creating a catch 22 situation, as conventional cotton cultivation usually requires large amounts of water. In addition to water, large amounts of pesticides and fertilizers are required. As you can see, conventionally grown cotton wears hard on both people and the environment. Cotton prices have fallen sharply on the world market in recent decades, and today the price of cotton is a third of what it was in 1980. As a result, farmers and workers are less able to support themselves and their families. But Fairtrade is making a difference, through the minimum prices and premiums we described earlier, among other things. The Fairtrade premium can be used to advantage to invest in drip irrigation, which can save up to 30-70% of the water consumption. Primarily, Fairtrade certified cotton is produced in India, where Cottover’s cotton comes from. Individual farmers cannot become Fairtrade certified, only cooperatives, and the cotton is usually grown in small family farms. In addition to the minimum price and premium, Fairtrade also has clear rules on the handling of chemicals and requires health promotion measures for everyone in the cooperative. Fairtrade criteria also encourage long-term trading relationships that secure sales, and therefore income, over time. For people and the environment Is Fairtrade and organic the same thing? No, it is not, although they are often interlinked. Fairtrade’s main focus is poverty alleviation and working conditions - which means the people behind the product. Several environmental requirements must also be met, such as water efficiency and a ban on genetically modified organisms (GMOs). Growing organically focuses on the environment, but is often better for the farmer as well, as it means less use of chemical pesticides. A majority of Fairtrade-certified cotton farmers are also organically certified. The uniqueness of Fairtrade certification is that it ensures that farmers are actually paid better, which organic certification does not guarantee. Dual certification - Fairtrade and organic - covers both aspects. All the cotton in Cottover’s collection is certified under both Fairtrade and GOTS, which means that it’s organic. Choose Fairtrade and make a difference If you ask yourself why you, as a consumer, should choose to buy Fairtrade, the answer is that it’s a simple way for you to make a difference to another human being. By choosing Fairtrade-labelled products, you help to improve the working and living conditions of those who grow and produce the goods you consume daily. In addition, you contribute to more children having the opportunity to go to school instead of being forced to work. If you ask us, that sounds like a good thing for the future. There are several certifications worth remembering, and especially worth bearing in mind when consuming. GOTS (Global Organic Textile Standard) is one of them. GOTS is recognised as the world’s leading processing standard for textiles made from certified organically produced raw materials. Conventional textile processing often results in the release of toxic chemicals into the environment, and textile processing often poses significant risks for those working in production. We all live on the same planet, we share the same water and air, and we need to look after each other. Not least the people who actually produce the textiles we consume. That’s why we’ve made the choice to GOTS- certify our Cottover collection. The fact that our decision facilitates conscious choices is merely a bonus. What are organic raw materials? The organic nature of a natural raw material such as cotton means that it’s been produced and certified according to specific organic farming standards. Organic cotton means that it is grown without any chemical pesticides or artificial fertilizers that can be harmful to people and the environment. GOTS requires that at least 70% of the products contain certified organic raw materials. Up to 30% may be other raw materials, but these must also meet the specific requirements. For example, in some Cottover products we use recycled polyester to make the material stronger. GOTS has two levels of labelling where ”Organic” means more than 95% organic raw materials, and ”Made with Organic” more than 70%. The Cottover collection includes products with both labels. Products without toxic chemicals In addition to the cotton being organically grown without toxic pesticides, GOTS requires products to be produced without toxic or harmful chemicals. Such chemicals can, for example, be suspected hormone disruptors or disrupt ecosystems and biodiversity. That’s not something we wish to be a part of. Through GOTS, we know that dyes and other additives are assessed against strict criteria before they are approved for use. There are also requirements for the chemical content of the final product. GOTS protects both people and the environment, which is in line with our values. It is for the sake of people and the environment that we all need to choose certified products. Full traceability and social requirements GOTS-certified products always use organic cotton and recycled polyester. Through its high demands on materials, quality, environmental and social aspects for all parties involved in production, you can feel assured that GOTS-labelled products are a good choice. In addition, full traceability is guaranteed throughout the supply chain. Do we need to point out that we are proud to be a part of GOTS…? We are proud of the fact that the entire Cottover collection is certified with STANDARD 100 by OEKO-TEX®. It’s easy to name drop certifications here and there, but they are important in what they represent and we would like to explain what OEKO-TEX® really means, so that you can gain knowledge and make conscious choices. OEKO-TEX® is the world’s most well-known and independent label for textiles that have been tested for harmful chemicals. The certification enables us as a company, as well as you as a consumer, to make responsible decisions that protect our planet for the future. OEKO-TEX® takes into account regulated substances such as azo dyes, formaldehyde and nickel, as well as chemicals that have not yet been regulated by law. Testing is carried out only by authorized and independent laboratories affiliated with the OEKO-TEX® Association. The testing and certification process that OEKO-TEX® standards are based on, ensures maximum consumer safety. In the industry, the certification is considered a guarantee for products complying with the EU chemicals legislation REACH at the very least. OEKO-TEX® makes sustainability easy and through our certification, we want to make sustainable choices easy for you. 33 32