Kutch Jii Chhap was started by four dedicated colleagues who worked for a large NGO, growing organic cotton, but felt the NGO was stagnant, not interested in improving. With an eye on innovation and wanting to make a positive impact, they decided to form their own company - representing organic cotton farmers and weavers.

When the feet of the barefoot cotton farmers in the Kutch began hurting as they walked their fields, because they’d been promised higher yields if they gave up their ancient cotton seed varietal for a hybrid that changed their soil from soft and loamy into hard, compacted ground, they knew the switch had been mistake. They returned to their former growing methods, a varietal that can be grown without pesticides and little water. The weavers of Kutch Jii Chaap transform the farmers cotton in to cloth and a nearby group of quilters hand stitch our selected fabrics into reversible quilts.

In addition to growing organic cotton, an ancient varietal that takes far less water- which makes sense in this semi-arid region of the country- they train women on floor looms. Women are typically relegated to the more ‘menial’ aspects of weaving (preparing the warp threads that dress the loom, loading the bobbins or shuttles with weft threads in preparation for weaving or weave on more primitive looms) and weaving on a floor loom means you can earn more income.

We love working with them as they are willing to innovate and try lots of things while staying true to their mission of growing organic cotton. We’ve visited their cotton fields and some of their weavers in small villages.