BERKELEY, CALIF.—Raksha Bella Organic introduces its Indian organic cotton duvet covers, quilts, pillow cases and Euro shams, handblocked in classic Indian patterns with low impact dyes. Raksha Bella means “protector of beauty.”
“As a designer, I believe it’s my responsibility to create sustainable solutions to the things we consume every day,” said Carrie Peters, founder of Raksha Bella Organic. “With a handcrafted approach to the Raksha Bella line, I want to show the interconnectedness between product and person.”
Cotton is one of India’s most important cash crops. Conventional growing methods (which use harsh chemicals and pesticides) harden the land and make it infertile, significantly reducing the crop yield and making it nearly impossible for farmers to turn a profit. But in organic cotton farming, growers have developed natural ways to create pest-resistant seeds, foregoing the cost of pesticides, which typically account for 25 percent of their income. The land too is rich in nutrients, yielding a higher quality cotton and an increased number of crop cycles.
While organic farming is more labor intensive, it’s paying off in reduced farming costs, and higher market prices, which means a better life for everyone in the community. In addition, all of Raksha’s bedding is cut and sewn by women self employed and breaking out of poverty and abuse through the Nobel Peace Prize winning Grameen banking system of micro-lending for the poor.
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