Maggie's Organics
Encyclopedia
Maggie's Organics is a brand of clothing and toys made from certified organic cotton and wool fibers, using fair trade
production and distribution methods. They are considered notable for their involvement in the development of organic
and fair trade
standards for apparel. The company was founded in 1992, and so are the oldest surviving organic apparel company in the US. The company's production is done in worker-owned co-operatives in Nicaragua
and North Carolina
, as well as in a family-owned and -operated facility in Costa Rica
. Maggie's Functional Organics also seeks to minimize packaging and product transportation in order to lower their carbon footprint
.
. The founders worked in the organic food industry, selling both blue and yellow corn tortilla chips, when one of their farmers recommended adding cotton to the crop rotation to improve the quality of the corn. Organic farmers often use crop rotation
as a way to improve crop yields without chemicals. His experiment worked. However, his cotton yielded a crop that then became the possession of the founders whom had no venue to sell it.
They soon began producing clothing with this accidental organic cotton. They started with socks, and then added tee shirts, focusing on simple products that would encourage the use of Organic fibers that would also convert as many acres of land as possible from conventional to organic farming methods. By 2008, founder Bena Burda was recognized as one of the 25 most influential people in the organic industry.
Conscious of poor working conditions in the apparel production industry, Maggie's became interested in finding or creating an alternative production method. By partnering with Jubilee House Community, a community development organization, they were instrumental in the creation of The Fair Trade Zone, a 100% worker-owned Sewing Co-Operative in Nueva Vida, Nicaragua
. The co-op has become the first worker-owned cooperative in the world to gain Free Trade Zone
status, and is an independent business sustaining its members and workers.
Recently, they have begun a partnership with a worker-owned co-operative in North Carolina, Opportunity Threads, to begin producing socks and stuffed animals made from organic cotton fibers.
2006 Natural Products Expo East "Best New Green Product": Maggie's Organic Baby Bodysuit and Cap Sets
2005 Intercot Recognition Award in the category of "Social Accountability" for Maggie's important contribution made to organic textiles and ecologically sound textile products.
2005 Washtenaw County's Waste-Knot Award recertified Maggie's Organics for dedication to waste reduction, reuse, recycling and buying recycled products.
2005 Frontier Top "Best" New Product Award for Maggie's Organics Certified Organic Cotton Tights
2004 Golden Needle and Thread Award for Maggie's commitment to action in building communities and economics through international commerce at the 28th Annual Educational Conference.
2004 Wisdom World View Award
2002 Maggie's Organics Owner Honored with OTA's 'Special Pioneer' Award. On May 11, 2002, the Organic Trade Association
(OTA) recognized Maggie's Organics president Bená Burda for her groundbreaking work by awarding her with their "Special Pioneer Award". Bená was honored for her passion, devotion, and "testing of the untested" in the area of Organic products - most notably Organic fiber.
2001 Socially Responsible Business
Award, Natural Products Expo East Founder Bena Burda was a keynote speaker at the awards in 2003.
2000 The Orange County Hemp Council recognized Maggie's Organics for sponsoring its award-winning booth at the 2000 Orange County Fair.
1999 The Washtenaw County Drain Commissioner's Office Recognized Maggie's for its commitment to protecting the quality of the Huron River and the county's local streams.
1999 Co-op America Quarterly deemed Maggie's Organics Tees as "Top Rung" on their "Ladder of Labor Responsibility"
Fair trade
Fair trade is an organized social movement and market-based approach that aims to help producers in developing countries make better trading conditions and promote sustainability. The movement advocates the payment of a higher price to producers as well as higher social and environmental standards...
production and distribution methods. They are considered notable for their involvement in the development of organic
Organic clothing
Organic clothing is clothing made from materials raised or grown in compliance with organic agricultural standards. Organic clothing uses cotton, jute, silk, ramie, or wool...
and fair trade
Fair trade
Fair trade is an organized social movement and market-based approach that aims to help producers in developing countries make better trading conditions and promote sustainability. The movement advocates the payment of a higher price to producers as well as higher social and environmental standards...
standards for apparel. The company was founded in 1992, and so are the oldest surviving organic apparel company in the US. The company's production is done in worker-owned co-operatives in Nicaragua
Nicaragua
Nicaragua is the largest country in the Central American American isthmus, bordered by Honduras to the north and Costa Rica to the south. The country is situated between 11 and 14 degrees north of the Equator in the Northern Hemisphere, which places it entirely within the tropics. The Pacific Ocean...
and North Carolina
North Carolina
North Carolina is a state located in the southeastern United States. The state borders South Carolina and Georgia to the south, Tennessee to the west and Virginia to the north. North Carolina contains 100 counties. Its capital is Raleigh, and its largest city is Charlotte...
, as well as in a family-owned and -operated facility in Costa Rica
Costa Rica
Costa Rica , officially the Republic of Costa Rica is a multilingual, multiethnic and multicultural country in Central America, bordered by Nicaragua to the north, Panama to the southeast, the Pacific Ocean to the west and the Caribbean Sea to the east....
. Maggie's Functional Organics also seeks to minimize packaging and product transportation in order to lower their carbon footprint
Carbon footprint
A carbon footprint has historically been defined as "the total set of greenhouse gas emissions caused by an organization, event, product or person.". However, calculating a carbon footprint which conforms to this definition is often impracticable due to the large amount of data required, which is...
.
History
The idea for Maggie's Organics began with an Organic Tortilla chipTortilla chip
A tortilla chip is a snack food made from corn tortillas, which are cut into wedges and then fried . Corn tortillas are made of corn, vegetable oil, salt and water. Although first mass-produced in Los Angeles in the late 1940s, tortilla chips are considered to be a Mexican food, known as tostados...
. The founders worked in the organic food industry, selling both blue and yellow corn tortilla chips, when one of their farmers recommended adding cotton to the crop rotation to improve the quality of the corn. Organic farmers often use crop rotation
Crop rotation
Crop rotation is the practice of growing a series of dissimilar types of crops in the same area in sequential seasons.Crop rotation confers various benefits to the soil. A traditional element of crop rotation is the replenishment of nitrogen through the use of green manure in sequence with cereals...
as a way to improve crop yields without chemicals. His experiment worked. However, his cotton yielded a crop that then became the possession of the founders whom had no venue to sell it.
They soon began producing clothing with this accidental organic cotton. They started with socks, and then added tee shirts, focusing on simple products that would encourage the use of Organic fibers that would also convert as many acres of land as possible from conventional to organic farming methods. By 2008, founder Bena Burda was recognized as one of the 25 most influential people in the organic industry.
Conscious of poor working conditions in the apparel production industry, Maggie's became interested in finding or creating an alternative production method. By partnering with Jubilee House Community, a community development organization, they were instrumental in the creation of The Fair Trade Zone, a 100% worker-owned Sewing Co-Operative in Nueva Vida, Nicaragua
Nicaragua
Nicaragua is the largest country in the Central American American isthmus, bordered by Honduras to the north and Costa Rica to the south. The country is situated between 11 and 14 degrees north of the Equator in the Northern Hemisphere, which places it entirely within the tropics. The Pacific Ocean...
. The co-op has become the first worker-owned cooperative in the world to gain Free Trade Zone
Free trade zone
A free trade zone or export processing zone , also called foreign-trade zone, formerly free port is an area within which goods may be landed, handled, manufactured or reconfigured, and reexported without the intervention of the customs authorities...
status, and is an independent business sustaining its members and workers.
Recently, they have begun a partnership with a worker-owned co-operative in North Carolina, Opportunity Threads, to begin producing socks and stuffed animals made from organic cotton fibers.
Awards
Maggie's Functional Organics has received multiple awards that recognize their efforts to preserve the environment and safe working conditions:2006 Natural Products Expo East "Best New Green Product": Maggie's Organic Baby Bodysuit and Cap Sets
2005 Intercot Recognition Award in the category of "Social Accountability" for Maggie's important contribution made to organic textiles and ecologically sound textile products.
2005 Washtenaw County's Waste-Knot Award recertified Maggie's Organics for dedication to waste reduction, reuse, recycling and buying recycled products.
2005 Frontier Top "Best" New Product Award for Maggie's Organics Certified Organic Cotton Tights
2004 Golden Needle and Thread Award for Maggie's commitment to action in building communities and economics through international commerce at the 28th Annual Educational Conference.
2004 Wisdom World View Award
2002 Maggie's Organics Owner Honored with OTA's 'Special Pioneer' Award. On May 11, 2002, the Organic Trade Association
Organic Trade Association
The Organic Trade Association is a membership-based business association that focuses on the organic business community in North America. OTA's mission is to promote ethical consumerism, promoting and protecting the growth of organic trade to benefit the environment, farmers, the public and the...
(OTA) recognized Maggie's Organics president Bená Burda for her groundbreaking work by awarding her with their "Special Pioneer Award". Bená was honored for her passion, devotion, and "testing of the untested" in the area of Organic products - most notably Organic fiber.
2001 Socially Responsible Business
Socially responsible business
Socially Responsible Business is a generally for-profit venture that seeks to leverage business for a more just and sustainable world....
Award, Natural Products Expo East Founder Bena Burda was a keynote speaker at the awards in 2003.
2000 The Orange County Hemp Council recognized Maggie's Organics for sponsoring its award-winning booth at the 2000 Orange County Fair.
1999 The Washtenaw County Drain Commissioner's Office Recognized Maggie's for its commitment to protecting the quality of the Huron River and the county's local streams.
1999 Co-op America Quarterly deemed Maggie's Organics Tees as "Top Rung" on their "Ladder of Labor Responsibility"