That’s quite a contrast to conventionally grown cotton, which is one of the most heavily sprayed crops grown today. Conventional cotton farmers typically apply as many as 10 different chemical treatments to their fields during the growing season and use an average of 1¼ pounds of pesticides and other chemicals to produce a single pound of fiber.

On the farm, workers are exposed to the toxic hazards these materials contain. Crops become contaminated by their residues. The soil becomes sterile, which makes it more susceptible to erosion by wind and water. And insects and weeds develop resistance, creating a vicious circle in which ever increasing amounts of chemicals are needed to combat them.

In short, pesticides are no good for you, us, or anyone else. Especially our kids. Some are known carcinogens. Others disrupt the human endocrine system. And all too many tend not to biodegrade once used. Instead, they remain biologically active and travel throughout the environment often making their way into the bodies of animals and people via contaminated food and water. A pesticide can travel hundreds and even thousands of miles from the site of its original application and end up poisoning much more than bugs or weeds.

Once cotton leaves the farm, the situation doesn’t get much better. Cotton fibers and fabrics are usually bleached white with hazardous chlorine, dyed with toxic heavy metal colorants, and often even treated with formaldehyde to create easy-care fabrics.

Little Marmara cotton doesn’t have anything to do with any of these things. (That sound you just heard was the Earth heaving a huge sigh of relief.) Its journey from the field to your favorite people is completely safe for all involved. When you dress your family in Little Marmara, you’re directly contributing to a healthier world for them to grow up in. And that’s a happy ending everyone can live with.