Patrick Hohmann

2002 the UN »Award for Sustainable Development Partnerships« How is it feasible to pay fair prices to farmers and sewers in India, Tanzania or Bangladesh, to protect nature and guarantee sustainable production? The Swiss organic cotton pioneer and founder of Remei AG, Patrick Hohmann, has succeeded against all odds. The fabric that we wear on our skin ruins entire economies and destroys nature. Hohmann no longer wanted to accept this. The reason: "It cannot be fair for an Indian farmer to subsidize my T-shirt." After several bankruptcies, setbacks and disappointments, he succeeded in producing cotton for the benefit of all stakeholders. Hohmann set up the bioRe® Foundation, an independent organization, which promotes organic cotton cultivation in India and Tanzania in cooperation with almost 6000 organic farmers. The foundation supports organic farming as a sustainable livelihood for smallholders and their families; it assures the participation of farming communities by respecting their human rights.

Nicole Müller, (b. 1962 in Basel) is a writer, publicist and consultant. She studied Romance studies and Russian in Zurich, Paris and Bochum. Her long-standing expertise in communications was recognized in 2007 with a Swiss and international diploma in marketing communications. Her literary work includes the novels “Denn das ist das Schreckliche an der Liebe”, “Mehr am 15. September”, “Kaufen!” as well as a biography about Annemarie Schwarzenbach. Nicole Müller became well known as a moderator of “Sternstunde Philosophie”. As a consultant for brand management and communications she has advised clients such as Globus, UNICEF, Swiss Re, Credit Suisse, Hilti Foundation and Sonnmatt Luzern.

Foreword | Anne Rüffer Patrick Hohmann and the White Gold From seeds to ready-to-waer fashion Childhood in Alexandria In the Shadow of the “Pfullingen Underpants” Elisabeth Hohmann Holdener: Wife, Ally and Sparring Partner A Cotton Dealer Goes Bankrupt Patrick Hohmann und Jürg Peritz: Two Men Committed to Sustainability bioRe® India Ltd bioRe® Tanzania Ltd Remei AG, the bioRe® Foundation and bioRe® Labels Transparency and re-traceability from the finished garment to the farmer Letting Go of a Life’s Work “The Living Hedge”of Meinrad Inglin Patrick Hohmann on His Favourite Short Story (“The Living Hedge”) “The Living Hedge” by Meinrad Inglin Appendix bioRe® Sustainable Cotton bioRe® Sustainable Textiles How can you make a difference as a consumer? Notes Picture Credits Acknowledgement