Farm Rio Touts the Benefits of Local Cotton, Smart Chemistry
Smart chemistry, ozone technology and a local supply chain are at the core of Farm Rio’s sustainable denim production.
The popular Brazilian apparel brand produced 158,175 Re-Farm jeans last year, according to its third hot-of-the-press sustainability report.
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Launched in 2019, Re-Farm jeans utilize biodegradable products during the washing process. They’re certified to the international Green Screen standard, which signifies that the chemicals used in production comply with the ZDHC Manufacturing Restricted Substances List (MSRL). The carbon neutral brand also restricts the use of PFAS (Polyfluoroalkyl) compounds, the environmentally unsafe chemicals that are difficult to break down.
Additionally, Re-Farm jeans are produced with suppliers whose farms grow 100 percent ABR (Responsible Brazilian Cotton) certified cotton. Jeans are made in Brazil and cleaned with ozone, which eliminate biodegradable non-ionic antimigrant wetting detergents from the process, according to Farm Rio.
Compared with an average pair of jeans, the Levi’s collaborator said every pair of Re-Farm jeans cuts the consumption of water (47 percent), energy (46 percent) and carbon dioxide (1.3 kg), or the equivalent of 30 hours of mobile phone use per garment.
Meanwhile, the brand’s use of local production and efficient technologies reduces hours worked on each pair of jeans by 36 percent.
Farm Rio reports that since 2019, the Re-Farm jeans line has saved 7 million liters of water, 133,000 kWh of electricity and avoided the emission of 210 tons of carbon gas equivalent.
The sustainable denim line supports Farm Rio’s other strategies outlined in the report, including its reforestation program, “1,000 Trees a Day, Every Day.” The program integrates a platform by Jundu, a startup that specializes in carbon certification. Farm Rio said it fully offset its 2021 greenhouse gas emissions by using carbon credits from forest restoration generated by the platform.
The company is also transitioning to renewable energy for its administrative and production facilities and is working toward the goal of reducing water consumption and wastewater production by 45 percent by 2030.
In 2022, Farm Rio’s global business reported gross revenues of $93 million, 81 percent higher than in 2021. The company said that it is digger deeper into Europe, turning its attention to the fashion capitals of Milan, Paris and London. It will open its first European flagship store in London during the second half of this year.
