Six years ago, when my daughter was a baby, there was very little available in organic, affordable clothing for children. Thankfully, that has changed. A new company called Happy Green Bee is offering organic, fair trade, sustainably produced cotton clothing for infants and toddlers. The company was founded by mother, conservationist, and Burt’s Bees founder Roxanne Quimby.

Happy Green Bee clothing comes in bright, colorful patterns. Not only is their clothing line cheerful, comfortable, and playful, but it is also ecologically responsible. Founder Roxanne Quimby explains,

We created Happy Green Bee so that a child can be a child, first and foremost. By using organic cotton, a comfortable and practical fabric, and simple bee-striped patterns, children feel as comfortable as they look, while their parents take a small step in making a big difference in the environment their children will live in.

The green cotton knit clothing of Happy Green Bee is very soft. The bold stripes makes it easy to mix and match the separates to create your own ensemble. Even the buttons are made from post-consumer recycled plastic. There are many reasons to chose organic cotton over commercially grown fiber. According to Happy Green Bee,

• 90 million acres of worldwide agricultural lands are devoted to the production of cotton, consuming 25% of all pesticides used on our planet.

• Genetically modified seed accounts for 50% of cotton grown in the United States. We can only speculate about the unintended and unforeseen consequences of genetic engineering.

• Petroleum based hydrocarbons (chemical fertilizers) are intensively applied to cotton crops to artificially speed up and otherwise “enhance” the plant’s growth cycle and productivity. The runoff of these compounds pollute our watersheds and food chains.

Happy Green Bee is also expanding to include organically grown cotton toys. The Abbee Doll comes adorned in Happy Green Bee stripes, so your child can have an outfit to match his/her beloved doll. If you care about the planet and you care about your child’s health, Happy Green Bee is a excellent, eco-conscious choice for your family.