Saaf Slate

Focusing on quality clothing for the consumer who cares about the environment, Saaf Slate produces organic cotton T-shirts that are eco-friendly and have a low carbon footprint. Using only 100% certified organic cotton approved by Fairtrade Labelling Organizations International, e.V., Saaf Slate aims to educate consumers about the global problem of pesticide use in cotton production. Directed by Mr. Gurbhej Dhillon, Saaf Slate translates from the Hindi language to mean a clean slate. While traditional global cotton production uses only about 2.5 to 5 percent of the world’s arable land, it consumes nearly a quarter of the world’s pesticides. Growing up in India, Saaf Slate founder Gurbhej Dhillon has seen the impact of unregulated pesticide use in his native country. The use of chemical pesticides in cotton production in India is responsible for dozens of deaths and thousands of injuries and illnesses each year. In 2001, over 500 farmers in the Warangal district of India died from improper use of pesticides. The following year, hundreds of cotton farmers in the southern Indian state of Andhra Pradesh died from exposure to pesticides. Saaf Slate hopes to bring awareness to the risks and impact of pesticide use in Indian cotton production through its line of original graphic designs and sustainable clothing. Based in Calgary, Canada, Saaf Slate grew out of the passion of founder Gurbhej Dhillon for art and graphic design. Incorporating imagery from Hindi and Punjabi cultures, Saaf Slate treats a T-shirt as a blank canvas, creating an affordable, and original, work of art.