The "FairTrade" mark is probably one of the best known in the marketplace, focusing primarily on the cotton farmers, but there are several out there which similarly embrace the idea of fair wages for the textile workers as well as the farmers, it says. "At Mantis World, we have always embraced the concept of fair trade, over many years of working with our family owned factories in Tanzania, and have had the benefit of complete involvement in and transparency of the production process," says md Prama Bhardwaj. The company has been working towards the highest standards of the Ethical Trade Initiative ‘Base Code' with regular independent audits to monitor its progress. 

Organic cotton is a bit more straightforward, says Mantis World, as there are international standards for organic cotton which are then verified by independent certifiers. Mantis World's ‘Tender Loving Clothing' (‘TLC') collection uses soft East African organic cotton certified by either EcoCert or BioInspecta.

The company believes that the move towards organic and fair trade is here to stay. "Awareness of these ‘hot topics' has grown massively," says Bhardwaj. "We believe that once consumers are aware of the benefits, they are unlikely to revert back to old buying habits.

"We seem to have reached a tipping point in society where everyone at all levels is aware of our fragile environment and our impact on it. The power of the media in the digital age means that abuses of the environment or workers are easily reported and the repercussions are such that no one can afford to be caught out."

As such, finding more environmentally friendly production methods are now more important than ever, says Bhardwaj, and this is an ongoing process of continuous improvement for Mantis World. It claims to have saved energy at its factory by installing new processes, which recover heat from the waste water. "We are also using greater amounts of carbon neutral energy generated by the by-products of the cotton and coffee harvest," adds Bhardwaj.

Mantis World's Tender Loving Clothing (TLC) collection of organic cotton T-shirts for men, women, kids and babies was introduced in 2005 and has since grown in response to customer demand and as part of the company's commitment to finding innovative, socially responsible ways to make its products.

The TLC range is produced using more sustainable farming and manufacturing methods, using GM free, certified organic cotton from East Africa. This cotton is grown in "living soil" (soil free of toxic chemicals for at least three years and enriched with organic matter) without the use of synthetic pesticides or fertilisers, ensuring the protection of the environment, wildlife and the farmers who would otherwise be handling hazardous substances.  In addition to these health benefits, African farmers are also paid a premium price for growing the organic crops compared with conventional cotton, so that they can improve their community's standards of living and protect them from the volatile nature of international cotton prices.  

The organic cotton TLC collection includes eleven styles ranging from Newborn to 18 months for babies, for age two to 12 years for kids and up to size XXL for men and women. These styles include three styles for men and women with the M104-TLC Organic Men's Jersey Box Tee, M1-TLC Organic Women's Skinny Tee and M2-TLC Organic Men's Fitted T-shirt.  There are two styles for boys and girls with the HM1-TLC Organic Girls Skinny Tee and HM2-TLC Organic Boys T-shirt, and six babywear styles; the BZ02-TLC Organic Baby T-shirt and BZ01-TLC Organic Baby Hat, versatile styles BZ10-TLC Organic Baby Short Sleeve Bodysuit, BZ05-TLC Organic Kimono Bodysuit and BZ09-TLC Organic Baby Sleepsuit and the popular BZ08-TLC Organic Baby Envelope Neck Top.

In order to preserve the natural colour and qualities of the organic cotton fibre, TLC organic cotton garments are available in unbleached ‘ecru' colours. Some new colours have also been introduced, using organic fabrics that are processed without the use of chlorine bleach and using (Oeko Tex approved) Azo Free Reactive dyes. The TLC range uses organic cotton certified by EcoCert International and BioInspecta and as with all Mantis World production, is Oeko Tex 100 certified, including Class 1 to cover babywear.  All TLC babysuits use only nickel free YKK snap poppers to protect the most sensitive skins against potential babies' allergens and each garment is individually labeled with a hangtag that indicates it is made with ‘100 percent certified organic cotton'. 

Email: info@mantisworld.com

Tel: 0207 224 8991

Or contact one of its distributors:
UKL: 0800 220955;
Prestige Leisure: 0800 652 1234,
Quayside Clothing: 0161 872 0677

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