Boll & Branch Introduces New Fair Trade Certified™ Line of Organic Cotton Bedding

CHATHAM, N.J., September 30, 2014 /3BL Media/ -- Boll & Branch, makers of socially conscious ultra-premium home textiles, announced today that their full line of products have met Fair Trade USA’s strict certification requirements. Available now on the Boll & Branch web site, their sheet sets – followed by duvets, shams and bed covers for the holidays – will be the first of their kind to bare the Fair Trade Certified™ label.

Since January, Boll & Branch has become one of the fastest-growing brands in the entire home textiles category. The new bedding brand sold thousands of sets of organic cotton sheets under the premise that Fair Trade costs are a moral obligation that shouldn’t be passed on to the customer, as well as by accepting a healthy 50-60% margin, versus the 400-600% markup that is customary among leading textile brands. This business model enables the customer to actually pay far less than they would for designer products that often do not maintain acceptable ethical and environmental standards.

“Improving the lives of the people who make textiles has been at the center of what we do since day one,” said Boll & Branch co-founder Scott Tannen. “As we expand our product line from 40 products to 500, we’re proud to achieve Fair Trade Certification and to create more fair-wage jobs in above-standard working conditions for our cotton farmers and factory workers in India.”

Boll & Branch’s new partnership with Fair Trade USA allows the company to empower their workers even further through a special community fund. For every product sold, a percentage is paid directly to a special fund for the cotton farmers and the workers who sew their product. Workers decide collectively how to spend these funds, based on the community’s greatest needs: from bonuses, scholarships and disaster relief funds, to medical care and transportation.

"We are so proud to partner with Boll & Branch to not only improve the lives of the cotton farmers and factory workers in its supply chain, but also to empower consumers to support these efforts through their purchases,” said Maya Spaull, Director of Innovation at Fair Trade USA. “In a bold and ground-breaking way, Boll & Branch is proving that beautiful design, business and ethics go hand in hand.”

The Boll & Branch line of products is also made exclusively from cotton sourced from Chetna Organic – a cooperative of 15,000 organic cotton farmers in India who practice non-GMO organic agriculture. Chetna works to improve livelihood options of smallholder farmers by making their farm systems more sustainable and profitable, and by creating access to ethical markets in cotton.

Organic cotton farming – which is pesticide free and sustainable – is not only better for the farmers and the land, but also creates a superior raw material. Expertly woven, organic cotton makes for a softer, more long lasting product.

To further their mission of change in the textiles industry, Boll & Branch donates a portion of each sale to Not For Sale, a non profit dedicated to eradicating human trafficking around the world. More details on their work with Not For Sale and their support of workers and farmers in India are available in the Boll & Branch H1 Impact Report.

Boll & Branch sheet sets (white, ivory and un-dyed) and throws (white, ivory and grey) are available now on the company’s web site. Sheets and throws in new colors -- plus duvets, shams, bed covers and accent pillows -- are available beginning December 1. Sheets sets start at $200 and throws are $115. The fall/holiday 2014 look book is available upon request.

About Boll & Branch

Boll & Branch is a vertically integrated, socially conscious provider of ultra-premium home textiles made from organic cotton in Fair Trade-certified mills. Offering high-quality bedding direct to the consumer online, Boll & Branch cuts out the middleman and high retail markup to provide the highest quality products at the best value. Founded in 2013, because everyone deserves a good night's sleep—from the customer to the farmer and textile worker—Boll & Branch is a private company headquartered in Chatham, N.J. For more information, visit BollandBranch.com.

About Fair Trade USA

Fair Trade USA is a nonprofit organization that works to promote sustainable livelihoods for farmers and workers, protect fragile ecosystems, and build strong supply chains from origin to shelf.  Its trusted Fair Trade Certified™ label is a promise that rigorous social, environmental and economic standards have been met in the production, trade and promotion of Fair Trade products from farms and factories in over 70 countries. Recognized as a leading social venture by the Clinton Global Initiative, the Skoll Foundation and Ashoka, Fair Trade USA also provides trainings for farmers and factory workers, consumer education, and impact reporting. Visit FairTradeCertified.org for more information.

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