Citizens of Humanity is investing in creating a pipeline for regenerative cotton.
The Los Angeles denim company is working with agricultural nonprofit Kiss the Ground to create “Kiss the Ground Cotton,” a trademark that will distinguish the brand’s products that are made with regeneratively grown crops and support the broader regenerative agriculture movement.
According to Kiss the Ground, shifting to regenerative farming is essential to combatting climate change, as it boosts soil fertility and biodiversity and replenishes the fresh water supply. The practice has been linked to reductions in carbon dioxide in the atmosphere and increased organic matter in soil, as carbon is sequestered in the ground through plant photosynthesis. Creating and maintaining healthy, living soil provides better nutrients for crops and cuts down on the need for synthetic inputs like fertilizers. Kiss the Ground, which aims to raise industry awareness about these benefits through education and advocacy, said a storytelling campaign has already reached tens of millions of consumers interested in conscious consumption.
The film is also what inspired Citizens of Humanity Group—including its namesake brand, along with Agolde and Goldsign—to embark on its own journey with regenerative agriculture last year. The company engaged with regenerative farming consultancy Advancing Eco Agriculture (AEA) and Kiss the Ground in 2022 to work with U.S. and international farmers, supporting educational opportunities to spur the adoption of regenerative practices, including providing tailored guidance for the needs of specific farms. Moving forward, each farm will be tested annually on its soil and plant health to verify progress. The collective will also help support farmers financially in acquiring new equipment and biological materials for their operations.
“We believe the single biggest impact we can make to reverse the effects of climate change is the implementation of regenerative agriculture,” Citizens of Humanity Group CEO Amy Williams said. With more than 25 million tons of cotton being grown in the world, “Imagine the impact we can make as a collective if we support farmers making this transition,” she added. “Our goal is to inspire and motivate as many people, brands, suppliers, and farmers as possible to make this transition and to support them in the process.”
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Kiss the Ground Cotton will launch for the first time as a part of Citizens of Humanity, Agolde and Goldsign collections this fall. Williams said the company hopes that the effort serves “the collective goal of inviting others—including additional farmers, brand partners, textile mills, standardization groups, and finally, the consumer” to embrace the regenerative agriculture movement.
Kiss the Ground CEO Evan Harrison said raising awareness is imperative to furthering adoption. “In the United States, less than 20 percent of the adult population has ‘heard of’ regeneration as a viable solution for the world’s climate, water and health crises,” he said.
“We are thrilled to partner with Citizens of Humanity to actualize their work in the cotton field and help awaken the world to the possibilities of regeneration,” he added. “As a society, we need to get to a place where we think more about how the products we consume are created and choose the ones that are part of the solution.”