Cotton farmers and their families are among the weakest players in the market, and they feel it keenly.
Much of their income is spent on seeds and agrochemicals, which they rely on because of depleted soils. When they cannot afford the high cost of seeds, pesticides and insecticides, they are supplied by cotton companies on credit, putting them in a dependency situation. Agricultural risks such as crop failures or more extreme weather events due to climate change are borne by the farmers alone and can jeopardize their livelihoods in one fell swoop.

Remei AG considers living incomes in agriculture and industry as a central aspect of fair textile production and implements the highest social standards throughout the supply chain.

In its participatory partnership, the Swiss company works with around 3,300 smallholders in India and around 1,800 smallholders in Tanzania. Through its purchase guarantee, Remei assumes agricultural risks such as under- and overproduction. In this way, it relieves the burden and creates security for the farmers and their families.
With a premium in addition to the market price, Remei gives farmers a share of the total value added and improves their financial situation.

The introduction of GM cotton in some regions without government regulation has led to increasing difficulties for organic farmers to obtain non-GM seed over the past decade.

Due to the proximity of cotton fields with GM cotton to organic farmland, contamination by pollinating insects and wind occurs repeatedly. Such contamination poses a serious threat to farmers, especially those who must meet minimum standards to sell their products abroad or to non-GMO certified sources.

Remei AG is committed to organic cotton cultivation and consistently refrains from using genetically modified seeds.

To ensure that farmers use GMO-free seeds, Remei works with local partners and the bioRe Foundation.

Together, they produce their own organic cotton seed, which is made available to the organic farmers. Through this measure, Remei AG is helping to maintain farmers' independence and avoid contamination of their crops with genetically modified seeds.

Conventionally grown cotton is planted in monocultures and is therefore susceptible to pests. As a result, cotton is one of the most heavily pesticide-treated crops. On average, cotton is sprayed with agricultural poisons about 20 times per season.

The high use of pesticides has serious impacts on biodiversity and leads to the poisoning of soils and water bodies. In addition, the pesticides pose a direct threat to farmers' health, as they are often applied without adequate protective clothing. According to WHO estimates, up to 25 million people in developing countries suffer poisoning from pesticides each year.

In addition, conventional cotton farming requires significant use of chemical fertilizers due to depleted soils.

Remei organic cotton farmers do not use chemical or synthetic pesticides. Instead, they rely on the use of beneficial insects and natural pesticides to control pests.

Growing organic cotton in crop rotation preserves soil fertility, promotes biodiversity and prevents erosion of agricultural land.

Remei AG actively supports small farmers by providing them with supervision and comprehensive training in organic farming. This provides farmers with the knowledge and skills to successfully grow organic cotton and increase their yields.