Egedeniz: From Farm, to Factory, to Finisterre

‘Ege’ for the Aegean, and ‘Deniz’ for sea or marine. Based in the port city of İzmir, bordering their namesake on Türkiye’s west coast, Egedeniz Textile has been producing quality certified organic cotton clothing since 1993, grown from the rich Aegean soil which has seen cotton become the region’s primary export.

Egedeniz not only take pride in this soil, but see themselves as custodians of it. They have gained a deserved reputation as leaders in responsible manufacturing and have been bold and brave in their adoption of lower impact farming methods – actively working with farmers to implement regenerative farming practices across their supply chain. 

In addition to this, all the cotton they use is grown within a two hour drive of the main factory, with the processing, dyeing and printing facilities also located within this same area. Known as a ‘Vertical Factory’ this structure means that the raw materials travel very little distance between the different production stages, helping reduce transportation miles and thus the overall carbon footprint of the end product.

as the company’s General Manager, Özgu Çubukçuoğlu, told us on our first morning in the country. “It’s not all about certifications,” she argued, “it’s about getting these things right in collaboration with the farmers and partners – ensuring the health of the land and the livelihoods of farmers for generations to come.” 

This spirit of collaboration, responsibility and a genuine care for those working to create the final products was evident throughout our visit. Their primary factory has been 50% powered by solar energy since 2012, and workers are provided access to on-site doctors so that staff can receive treatments and prescriptions that may otherwise be difficult for them to obtain.

Our visit was timed to coincide with Egedeniz’s yearly sustainability conference later in the week, but having arrived early we had the opportunity to visit more of their partner’s facilities, getting a view of the process from seed to sewing. Having explored the main factory from fabric storage, through testing and development, to cutting room floor, we set off to the outskirts of the city to visit the other key production facilities in the process.

Our first stop was Ney Örme Tekstil, where the cotton yarns are knitted into fabric. We were welcomed by Yener İlhende who told us he’d been working with Egedeniz ‘since the beginning’ in 1993. The partnership has been going so long that Mr İlhende is now eyeing retirement, with his son Ömer already taking over much of the operation. 

It was a similar story when we reached Ela, a print house who have worked with Egedeniz for over 22 years. Dyeing and printing can be an intensive process, with dyes applied through silk screens to achieve the desired printed designs. Aware of this issue, Ela have implemented a system to minimise its impact – where the water needed for the printing process is reused twice before being diverted directly to the industrial wastewater treatment.

The process has been slow and not without its challenges, but is ultimately seen as a necessary step for the future as global temperatures continue to rise and the ecosystems that have supported traditional extractive farming methods in decline. 

Universally, there is no one standard definition of Regenerative Farming, but in its essence this approach centres around putting more back into the soil than you are taking out. Increasing biodiversity and promoting soil health are primary factors, and Egedeniz has been experimenting with various different methods.