EcoPlum Shines a Spotlight on its B Corp Suppliers: Terra Thread Goes Beyond Organic

This is the second profile in our new blogpost series about our B Corp suppliers.

In a world where fast fashion dominates and environmental concerns are growing, Terra Thread is proving that style and sustainability can go hand in hand. Terra Thread is redefining their side of the fashion industry with sustainable canvas bags and apparel made from organic cotton. The California-based company is on a mission to redesign fashion so that it empowers farmers, rebuilds soils, pays workers fairly, and reduces plastic waste in the world. It provides earth-friendly essentials—like backpacks, totes, duffels, and t-shirts—crafted with purpose, ethics, and long-term impact in mind. Made in India, Terra Thread products are both organic and Fairtrade certified.

Inspiration for Terra Thread

Founded in 2017 by father-daughter duo Vik and Vizan Giri, Terra Thread is the consumer brand of Gallant International. Gallant is a private label producer of sustainable promotional products and Certified B Corporation that is part of a global movement using business as a force for good.

In response to the fast fashion movement, the Giris were inspired to create products that would have a longer lasting positive impact on the planet. Vizan worked for Gallant while she was in college. She had a passion and a commitment to environmental and social justice. Plus she realized that sustainably-produced backpacks and bags had very little presence in the marketplace. Her values coalesced with opportunity and Terra Thread was born.

What Makes Terra Thread Different?

Terra Thread doesn’t just slap a “sustainable” label on its goods. Every step of its supply chain is thoughtfully designed for maximum positive impact.

Here’s what they’re doing differently:

100% GOTS-Certified Organic Cotton for all products
Fair Trade Certified™ Factories for manufacturing
Regenerative Organic Farming to produce organic cotton

Terra Thread: Weaving Sustainability into Everyday Essentials

The Giris envisioned a company where useful, everyday products are made without harming the environment or the people making them. Most conventional bags and backpacks, prevalent in the marketplace, are made from synthetic fabrics such as polyester, nylon and other plastic-based materials. We may think conventional cotton is not harmful, but it uses more insecticides than any other crop in the world. It is harmful to the people producing it and it creates toxic runoff flowing into community streams. Research on conventional cotton by the Organic Trade Association indicated that in 2017, the cotton industry used over $4.2 billion worth of pesticides.

Alternatively, all Terra Thread products are made sustainably from GOTS-certified organic cotton, and produced in Fair Trade Certified™ factories in India, ensuring environmental care and fair labor practices throughout the supply chain. No pesticides or harmful chemicals are used. Workers are paid a fair wage and have safe working conditions.

GOTS Certified Organic Cotton vs Alternatives

Terra Thread products are GOTS (Global Organic Textile Standard) Certified. GOTS is the worldwide leading textile processing standard for organic fiber including environmental criteria backed by third-party certification at all processing stages. GOTS certification is a stringent voluntary global standard for the entire post-harvest process such as spinning, knitting, weaving, dyeing, and manufacturing of apparel and home textiles made with organic fiber. The standard prohibits the use of toxic chemicals, including harmful pesticides and synthetic fertilizers during the processing stages. It also includes strong labor provisions, as well a prohibition on child labor. The GOTS symbol means the products have met strict environmental and social criteria along the entire supply chain. GOTS covers processing, manufacturing, packaging, labeling, trading, and distribution of products sold as GOTS-certified.

There is a major difference between GOTS Certified organic cotton and any other organic- labeled cotton. A textile product carrying the GOTS label grade ‘organic’ must meet a higher threshold and contain a minimum of 95% certified organic fibers, whereas a product with the label grade ‘made with organic’ is only required to have a minimum of 70% certified organic fibers.

Fair Trade Factory Production: Fair Trade from Seed to Stich

Every Terra Thread product is made in a Fair Trade USA Certified™ factory. Fair trade standards provide workers with good working conditions and promote:

Legal and fair pay
Gender equality
Safe, healthy, and democratic working environments
Fair Trade Premiums to invest in their communities

What is Regenerative Organic Certified® Cotton?

Terra Thread invested in its supply chain and works directly with family farmers in India who grow Fairtrade organic cotton. Gallant and Terra Thread have been instrumental in helping to transform organic cotton farming. A growing number of these farmers have adopted regenerative agriculture practices and are now Regenerative Organic Certified® (ROC), a somewhat new certification from the Regenerative Organic Alliance, a California nonprofit.

In 2022, Terra Thread and Gallant International launched one of the largest regenerative organic cotton initiatives globally, helping more than 700 smallholder and tribal farmers in India transition over 3,500 acres of land to regenerative, sustainable farming practices. Many of these farms are rain-fed and don’t rely on irrigation, making their approach even more climate-resilient.

Terra Thread is the first line of products under the Gallant umbrella to use ROC cotton exclusively. Regenerative organic farming can be viewed as the gold standard in agriculture. It goes beyond “doing less harm” and actively works to restore ecosystems, enrich soil health, and support farming communities. Prioritizing ROC practices protects the local environment so that workers and their communities can thrive in a healthy way.

Even before cotton becomes fabric, Terra Thread supports farmers by pre-financing seeds and offering training to help them adopt organic and regenerative practices. It’s a supply chain built on dignity and sustainability—not shortcuts.

Terra Thread is one of the first brands to introduce ROC cotton in its products. This rigorous certification is built on three pillars:

1. Soil Health and Land Management

Regenerative practices like composting, crop rotation, cover cropping, and reduced tillage build healthy soil that can absorb more carbon and retain water—key strategies for fighting climate change.

2. Farmer and Worker Fairness

Farmers are paid fair wages, given safe working conditions, and empowered with resources to build resilient communities. This is vital in regions where conventional cotton farming has long exploited labor.

3. Animal Welfare

While Terra Thread doesn’t work directly with livestock, ROC farms that meet this standard must also ensure humane treatment of animals, completing a holistic approach to ethical agriculture.

B Corp Certified: Business as a Force for Good

Gallant International, the parent of Terra Threads, has been a B Corporation (B Corp) since 2009, only a few years after the B Corp movement began. As part of Gallant, Terra Thread benefits from the robust standards of a Certified B Corporation—a designation reserved for companies that balance purpose and profit.

Certified B Corps are for-profit enterprises that meet high standards of environmental and social performance, transparency, and accountability. Unlike traditional companies that make decisions based on shareholders, B Corps are required to consider the impact of their decisions on shareholders plus other stakeholders including workers, suppliers, community, customers, and the environment.

B Corps are evaluated for their:

Environmental impact
Worker treatment
Supplier accountability
Customer transparency
Community engagement
Governance and transparency

This badge isn't easy to earn, and it’s an ongoing commitment by Gallant to sustainability and continual improvement in all these areas.

Giving Back: Fighting Hunger in the U.S.

Terra Thread doesn’t stop at ethical production. The company is also committed to addressing food insecurity by partnering with Feeding America, a nonprofit organization that works to end hunger in America. Every purchase supports their mission to provide meals to children, families, and seniors in need across the United States.

Feeding America provides nutritious food to over 46 million people in the U.S. via its nationwide network of 200 food banks, 60,000 food pantries, and local meal programs. Terra Threads has contributed over 4.5 million meals since launching its effort with the nonprofit.

Terra Thread Products: Stylish. Colorful. Thoughtful. Certified.

The Terra Thread product line includes a wide range of responsibly made essentials:

Everyday backpacks and duffel bags
Totes, fanny packs, and laptop sleeves
T-shirts and hoodies made with the same sustainable standards

Terra Thread in the EcoPlum Sustainable Swag® collection.

Terra Thread also provides EcoPlum with promotional products ready for branding with a company logo or message. Here are three of our favorites.

Executive Work Tote Bag Organic Cotton Gym Bag Cadera Fanny Pack

Terra Thread isn't just about bags and T-shirts. It’s about rethinking the way we produce and consume. By investing in regenerative organic farming, supporting ethical labor practices, and committing to long-term environmental health, Terra Thread offers consumers a powerful choice: to align their purchases with their values and contribute to a more just, sustainable future. Choosing Terra Thread means choosing a better world. And so EcoPlum salutes them.

Editors’ Note:

EcoPlum is a B Corporation and distributor of sustainable promotional products, including those manufactured by Terra Thread.