One of the questions we’re asked most often, and one that defines who we are, is whether we work with certified organic materials and what that means for our supply chain. The answer: we go a step further than organic. 

We work with biodynamically sourced materials, adding value at every stage of the process: from the crops that provide our fibres to the plants and flowers we use for natural dyeing. Our wool, cotton and colours all come from agricultural systems that enrich biodiversity and restore life to the land. And we’re proud to be the first textile brand worldwide to have received a Demeter certification for it.

In this month’s newsletter, we’d like to share more about the difference between the label “bio” or “organic” and “biodynamic”.  

Organic versus biodynamic 

“Green” labels are everywhere, but for us, it’s essential to understand their meaning clearly in order to do our work well. Empty buzzwords and greenwashing have no place in our vocabulary. Our goal is to make a visible impact and leave the land better than we found it. 

Even the word sustainability can feel limiting. Instead of simply sustaining, we aim to regenerate. We aim to improve what is there. 

Organic (bio) focuses on avoiding synthetic fertilizers, pesticides, and genetically modified organisms. It’s an important step forward for soil health and biodiversity, but it mostly defines what not to do. 

Biodynamic, certified by Demeter, takes this further. It treats the farm as a living ecosystem where soil, plants, animals, and people coexist in balance. Farmers use natural preparations to nurture soil life (zero pesticides), follow natural rhythms for sowing and harvesting, and dedicate at least ten percent of their land to biodiversity. The aim is self-sufficiency and regeneration rather than reduction.

Did you know that around 10% of global CO₂ emissions come from the textile industry? On top of that, conventional textile dyeing accounts for 20% of global water pollution, and 90% of European wool is destroyed instead of used or repurposed.

Conventional textile production also relies on one to five kilos of chemicals for every kilo of fabric produced. These figures show why rethinking how we make and value textiles is so important. 

We're exploring ways to give back to the Earth.
By working with biodynamic materials, we contribute to regeneration, not depletion. 

Biodynamic farming captures CO₂ in the soil, enhances biodiversity, and increases fertility over time. Studies show that biodynamic soils can store up to three times more CO₂ than organic soils. They are 44% more fertile than conventional, and 31% more fertile than organic systems. 

A good example comes from the Sekem cotton project in Egypt: a biodynamic initiative using around 20% less water than conventional cotton farming, while sequestering roughly three tons of CO₂ per hectare per year; the equivalent of half a year of driving by an average car. 

At LOADS, we practice biodynamic principles in everything we do, which has earned us the Demeter certification. Every material and every process - from cotton to plant-based dyes - follows these standards. 

Our textiles are more than organic; they are part of a regenerative system that resists greenwashing and creates genuine impact.  

Biodynamic is more than a label; it’s a commitment to responsibility, to making sure that what we create also gives back to the Earth. 

If you’d like to learn more about biodynamic farming, visit the Demeter website for further reading. Or listen to this podcast (in Dutch) made by Odin

All stills are from the film by Bas Berkhout (see our news page)