From January 2009 Mantis World's entire production process and supply chains have been GOTS-certified (Global Organic Textile Standard) by Control Union (formerly SKAL).

All Mantis World products (Mantis, Humbugz, Babybugz and TLC) are made with sustainability in mind and we work closely with all of our factories to meet the same high standards, actively supporting Fairtrade, fair wages and fair working conditions.

No harmful dyes or substances are used and all products are certified to the Oeko Tex 100 standard including Class 1 for babywear.

Why don't Mantis World products carry the FairTrade mark?

Currently there are no FairTrade certified cotton farms available in East Africa where our factory is based. We have been in discussion with FLO and the Fairtrade Foundation about setting up Fairtrade cotton projects in East Africa for a number of years, and we hope to be one of the first companies to offer it. We feel it is unfair to penalise the farmers we have worked with for decades in East Africa because a European standard is not yet available to them. We also believe it's more important to keep much needed employment and value addition in Africa as part of our "Trade not Aid" ethos.  

Our factory received the best available mark under the BSCI standard (which is compliant with Fairtrade factory standards). Our Tanzanian and Ugandan organic cotton farmers receive a premium for their certified organic cotton (similar to FairTrade).  So, as part of our organic cotton TLC range, we are able to offer a fairly traded African made garment - from the raw cotton to the finished garment - in a sustainable way that is fair to all our stakeholders.  For the rest of our collection, we offer a "fairly made" product, from yarn to the finished garment.

Carbon emissions

Energy in Tanzania is low-carbon based on hydro-electric power generation. In addition, we use bio-fuels as far as possible (including by-products of coffee and cotton harvest and other waste).  As a result, the carbon footprint of all our African made clothing is only a quarter the size of a typical Asian made garment.

A kilo of textiles made in India typically uses 23 - 27kg of carbon; a kilo of textiles made in Tanzania uses 7kg of carbon (source: BioRe Foundation, May 2009).

By choosing the Mantis World family of brands, you are not only choosing beautifully soft, well made garments, you are making a conscious decision about the minimum standards you expect from us. 

The Ethical Fashion Forum also recently awarded us with the RE:Fashion 2008 Award for Ethical Manufacturer.

For more information about the Mantis World collection (Mantis, Humbugz, Babybugz and TLC) or for details of your nearest distributor email info@mantisworld.com or call 0207 224 8991. Distributors: Prestige Leisure 0800 652 1234; UKL 0800 220955; I.S. Enterprises 01206 798 131 and Quayside 08456 522 722.

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