A collaboration where Mango is taking a step towards regenerative cotton by joining forces with Materra and its mission to give nature a voice. This represents not just a commitment to better farming practices, but a shared vision of restoring a balance between people, the land and the ecosystems that sustain us: an ongoing and collective step.
WHAT IS REGENERATIVE AGRICULTURE? Regenerative agriculture reduces synthetic chemicals to protect soil, ecosystem, and farmer health. Unlike conventional methods, it boosts soil fertility, water retention and biodiversity through practices such as reduced tillage and cover crops. It also fosters natural ecosystem balance, sequesters carbon, conserves water, and lowers input reliance.
WE ARE PART OF NATURE Nature is the world around us, and includes ourselves and all living beings. Our health is closely connected to it. The regenerative approach is about seeing the world not as a resource to be exploited, but as a complex web of relationships that supports all life. Regenerative agriculture adopts this view, focusing on a respectful and connected approach to the land and to those who farm it.
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FROM FIBRE TO FABRIC: MANGO x MATERRA We conclude the process with these pieces — proudly made with 50% MATERRA® REGENERATIVE COTTON. A collection that speaks to our commitment to responsible design, crafted with care using cotton grown through practices that restore the soil and support the farm’s full ecosystem. Simplicity in form. Integrity in process.
WATER CHALLENGES IN COTTON It is commonly assumed that cotton cultivation must depend on excessive amounts of water use. But in reality, cotton is a plant that has evolved to thrive in arid, hot climates, and when grown in the most contextually appropriate way, it can be very water-efficient. What is more, Materra focuses on soil health. A healthy soil which is well-aerated and porous can absorb and retain more water, and is more drought-resistant.
COTTON GROWING CYCLES At Materra, they respect the cotton growing cycles. Where the cotton is traditionally grown in what is called the Kharif season (June-November). The Rabi season (winter-sown, spring-harvested) is when the same farmers grow other crops like peas, gram, mustard, potatoes, carrots and more. Once they start to practice regenerative farming, farmers apply these practices to their other rabi crops, creating a wider ripple effect that is not limited to just cotton. Materra promotes crop rotation among farmers, in other words, not growing cotton on the same piece of land two years in a row.
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Materra believes regenerative agriculture must include people, especially farmers. They need agronomic support, financial incentives, or both to adopt healthier and more sustainable practices. This is not the icing on the cake, or something nice to have: it’s fundamental. Materra also works to empower women through training and decision-making roles, and to foster long-term brand–farmer relationships to share risk and bring farmer voices into the fashion conversation.
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SMALLHOLDER FARMERS India is one of the world’s largest cotton producers and has a huge textile industry. Over 70% of its farmers are smallholders, key players in managing our collective relationship with the land, yet historically marginalised and under-supported. Supporting them is central to our mission. Our approach is rooted in India’s farming traditions, combining indigenous agro-ecological knowledge with modern science.
TRADITIONAL SKILLS & ANCESTRAL KNOWLEDGE Working with farming communities has shown us that many traditional practices—though not labelled “regenerative”—are based on deep respect for the land. For example, intercropping pigeon pea with cotton improves biodiversity, fixes nitrogen, and adds income, and Materra now promotes this elsewhere.Farmers normally use jugaad—a word used for local, low-cost innovations—such as saree fences to protect fields or tin-can alarm systems to scare wild boars, reflecting their resourceful, problem-solving spirit.
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GET TO KNOW RAVAJI THAKOR He is one of Materra’s Master Farmers, a term used to identify farmers who are already implementing excellent practices in the field and who can influence other farmers in the region — think of them as local influencers.
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1951 He was born and raised in Golathra Village, in the Grambharti cluster.
1960s As a child, his father reminded him every September after the monsoon to not pull out the grass which grew on the same soil as the pearl millet, in order to feed the livestock. Had it been removed, the humidity and heat could have proved fatal for the millet. “Our ancestors did not have scientific knowledge about farming,” he explains to us. “But they had very, very good practical knowledge about it.”
1970s Before being formally acquainted with regenerative farming, Ravaji and his ancestors already had plenty of experience with regenerative practices.
2007 – 2023 Ravaji has practised sustainable farming for the last 15 years.
2023 He joined Materra’s regen programme. Hailing from a family of farmers, he is passionate about teaching and training the younger generations, having collaborated with several agricultural centres, universities and other associations.
2025 He is now one of the Materra’s Master Farmers and although nearly 74 years old, he claims to tend to the land as vigorously as a man in his twenties!
In India, the strength of community is transmitted in every daily gesture: in team work, in continuous learning and in shared stories. This way life, in all its forms, nurtures itself and grows.
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