Today’s fashion industry faces critical challenges that demand urgent attention, particularly concerning sustainability and equity. Issues such as environmental degradation, exploitative labor practices, and the systemic marginalization of Black farmers highlight the need for a more responsible and inclusive approach to apparel production. As the industry evolves, innovative solutions must address these inequalities while promoting eco-friendly practices that benefit communities and the planet alike.
As the CEO of Seed2Shirt, Tameka Peoples is transforming the apparel industry through a vertically integrated model that champions Black cotton farmers and cooperatives. Seed2Shirt is the first Black woman-owned social enterprise with a mission to uplift Black cotton farmers in the U.S. and Africa. Through dedicated products, programs, and services, they focus on creating earth-friendly, fair-trade products. By investing in regenerative agricultural practices and fostering international relationships, Seed2Shirt empowers over 9,600 farmers across the U.S. and Africa, with a special focus on women farmers.
Seed2Shirt plays a pivotal role in the Climate Beneficial Fiber Partnership, a USDA-funded collaboration under the Partnership for Climate-Smart Commodities. The initiative focuses on advancing climate-smart agricultural practices and creating accessible market opportunities for cotton and wool farmers. As the Southeast region lead, Seed2Shirt partners with organizations like the National Center for Appropriate Technology (NCAT), Fibershed, and the Carbon Cycle Institute to provide equitable access, reduce greenhouse gas emissions, and promote regenerative cotton production across the U.S. The partnership’s emphasis on equity ensures that BIPOC farmers receive the support and resources needed to thrive in a climate-resilient, fair-trade supply chain.
Tameka envisions a future where sustainable practices and equitable opportunities converge, advocating for solutions that prioritize the well-being of communities and the environment. Through initiatives like the Farmer Enrichment Program/BLACKollective, she aims to extend her impact, ensuring that marginalized voices are heard and supported within the global cotton and apparel marketplace.
In this conversation with Fibershed, Tameka shares her insights on the pressing issues facing the apparel industry, the mission behind Seed2Shirt, and her vision for a more equitable future for all.
Fibershed: Can you tell us a bit about yourself and how Seed2Shirt came to be?
Tameka: I always describe myself as an outsider in the fashion and sustainability industries because I didn’t come from either of those backgrounds. My journey really began with community work right in my own backyard.
The idea for Seed2Shirt arose during a boutique-style hackathon where I wanted to give away shirts made by a Black-owned company with cotton from Black farmers. Upon visiting a local print shop, I learned that this didn’t exist
The next morning, I was at a dental office reading a book about sustainable fashion and the destructive nature of fast fashion. It hit me—I might be part of the problem. Here I was, looking for shirts without considering the impact of the industry behind them. I realized that if I was going to create this shirt, it needed to be done right. It couldn’t be part of the problem.
That’s when I decided that any product we created would be small-batch, fair trade, and focus on connecting with the farmers who grow the cotton. I knew we’d be agribusiness-focused because I wanted to go deeper—to create a product that supports equitable pay, safe working conditions, and sustainable practices. My goal has always been to create solutions, not problems. And if I was going to venture into the fashion space, I was determined that our products would be rooted in positive impact, not harm.
That was the start of Seed2Shirt.
Fibershed: So, how did you go about making the T-shirt?
Tameka: I started by reaching out to local Black farmers in my community, but many were hesitant. Cotton farmers, in general, operate as commodity producers with seed contracts that limit flexibility. The farmers I contacted were wary of stepping outside their usual systems, especially when approached by a new fashion brand asking to do something different.
As I dug deeper into the process, I called textile facilities to understand their capabilities and minimum order quantities. The manufacturing landscape was challenging, especially as I wanted to maintain ownership and connection at every step. I eventually hit a point where it seemed difficult to meet my standards within the U.S., so I turned my focus to Africa, where I knew sustainable, organic cotton production was already happening.
I began researching the GOTS organic standard and learned about the cotton industry in Burkina Faso, which had an impressive program supporting organic farmers. I connected with the local Department of Agriculture and cooperative leaders to better understand their challenges, such as land yields and testing issues. This led me to build relationships with textile producers in East Africa, specifically in Uganda and Kenya, to complete the value chain with spinning facilities that could maintain organic standards.
At every step, I aimed to ensure the process was non-extractive and built value for the local communities. For me, it was about creating a circular, connected value system that benefitted everyone involved, from the farmers to the final product.
I also found a Black woman-owned print facility in the U.S. that was willing to work with me on printing and distributing the shirts to other small and medium-sized brands looking for sustainable options. We launched the product in 2019, using a carbon-neutral facility and fair-trade, GOTS-certified cotton.
However, I recognized that we needed to go beyond production. Farmers in Burkina Faso shared that, while they liked the GOTS standard, they needed more support, especially with soil health and sustainable practices. I hired a soil scientist to work with the cooperative, testing soil samples and developing whole-farm plans to improve yields and overall crop health.
We also learned that women farmers often faced delays in receiving tools, which impacted their ability to harvest. We created a program called “Farmers’ Tools” to provide equal access and support their work. By building these relationships and supporting farmers holistically, we’ve been able to create a truly sustainable and connected product that goes beyond just the T-shirt.
Fibershed: It sounds like a lot of your work focuses on supporting existing Black farmers and helping them with their agricultural practices. Is there also hope that the Black farming population will grow, given that it has declined over time? Are you envisioning a resurgence in that community?
Tameka: Yes, absolutely. We hope to see a resurgence of Black farmers who are not only aware but also interested in fiber farming as a viable option. Currently, about 98% of Black farmers are predominantly focused on food production. But there’s definitely room for integrating food and fiber farming.
For example, while conventional fiber systems like cotton often require large machinery and substantial acreage, there are other options. Livestock fiber systems, such as wool, or smaller cotton plots with alternative harvesting methods could present real opportunities for Black farmers.
Our vision is to introduce fiber farming as a sustainable, scalable option for Black growers, helping them expand or diversify their current practices. For those already growing cotton, we aim to offer more resilient practices and alternative market opportunities for their production. Ultimately, if we do this right, more Black farmers who are returning to the land—perhaps even younger generations—will have these new opportunities and systems of change available to them.
Fibershed: How do you envision your ongoing collaboration with the African communities you’ve been engaged with so far?
Tameka: We’re deeply committed to our African community and have never stopped working with them. For instance, we’re running a small pilot cotton project in Ghana, and it’s amazing what just $5,000 can do in a different economic context. With the resources we have, we’re able to make a significant impact on the ground.
We are intrinsically connected to the African community and are dedicated to growing our involvement in a way that strengthens local ecosystems. While we do look at opportunities to use African cotton outside the continent—like in the U.S.—our primary goal is to build sustainable, localized programs. We aim to support these communities in expanding their reach, but always with a focus on helping them grow their own markets and systems.
Fibershed: You noted that local milling and processing infrastructure in the U.S. posed challenges when you were developing the T-shirt. Given the current decline in this infrastructure, have you participated in discussions about rebuilding it? How is your organization working to address these challenges?
Tameka: We’ve definitely been involved. When we first started, we had a vision for our T-shirt project to be part of a fully integrated production model. That’s our long-term, 100-year vision, and we’re building it step by step. We were invited to join a regional fiber manufacturing initiative with Fibershed as a partner, and we spent a year exploring what a regional model could and should look like for the U.S. It was a deep dive into the logistics—where we’d source cotton, what kind of infrastructure we’d need, and the best locations for implementation.
Based on our findings, we realized that North Carolina is an ideal spot. It’s centrally located, and it still has some textile production capacity. Many of the farmers we want to work with are in the Southeast, and much of the textile infrastructure that remains in the U.S. is in North Carolina. So, we decided to relocate our company there, opening a small satellite facility to test our model. We’ve been there for two years now, and we’ve acquired 10 acres of land for our facility, focusing on small-scale spinning and textile production.
There’s actually a growing green manufacturing movement in North Carolina aimed at restoring and expanding local production. We’ve partnered with NC State, Gaston College, and others to build out a textile workforce and create apprenticeship programs that funnel trained individuals into our facility. We’re also working with the North Carolina Economic Development Committee to identify ideal locations and build connections with local industrial partners, like the Industrial Commons, which brings together textile companies to grow the industry.
From a funding perspective, these facilities are expensive, so we’re being strategic about securing resources and envisioning a model for ownership. We’ve been exploring employee-owned structures and cooperative models, where the farmers we work with could have equity in the facility. It’s important to us that those who contribute to the supply chain have a stake in its success.
This whole initiative is a long-term, 10-year plan. We’re only two years in, and we’re actively refining our approach, building partnerships, and figuring out how to fund and structure the facility to make this vision a reality. It’s an exciting journey, and we’re committed to making it work.
Fibershed: Considering the work you and your community are doing, what does your ideal fiber future look like? How do you envision participation in this system from the perspectives of growers, community members, and consumers?
Tameka: My ideal fiber future includes more Black and BIPOC fiber growers being integral to sustainable production and becoming direct selling partners in the industry. I envision expanding the work they’re already doing, bringing in more growers, and creating a true market for their fibers—allowing Black-owned companies to have ownership in the textile sector that connects directly to these growers. This vision isn’t just about production; it’s about scaling in a way that lets these businesses reinvest in their communities—creating jobs, supporting local programs, and offering opportunities for people to learn about the fiber industry.
Community-building is also central to this vision. It’s about showing that this model can work and leading by example—demonstrating how our community can be actively involved. It’s about creating companies and textile production facilities that value community members, offering them employment and equity in the business. The goal is to build a system where the company thrives, the community benefits, and resources are continually reinvested. That’s the vision—everything connected from farm to finished product, with long-term sustainability and equity at the heart of it, ensuring that 100 years from now, we’re still doing this work and growing together.
Fibershed: Can you describe what it would feel like to thrive in your ideal fiber future, especially from a cultural perspective in the U.S.? If you succeed in creating the systems you envision, empowering Black farmers, and building that infrastructure, you’d be establishing—or perhaps reestablishing—something fundamental to both our country and Black communities. How do you envision the experience of being part of that future?
Tameka: It would feel incredibly proud and, dare I say, honoring. Those are the two words that come to mind because, for so many Black families, creation is nothing new. As human beings, we naturally create. But I feel like, in my era, the Black community hasn’t had the same opportunities to create on a large scale. We’ve been ambassadors, visionaries—absolutely—but there’s an arc to creation, and historically, our communities have been at the heart of it. We’ve had mills, the most talented seamstresses making dresses for presidents—creation is deeply rooted in our history.
But right now, there isn’t a single facility or space we can point to as a community where we’re creating from the farm forward. We used to have that, and it was systematically taken away or destroyed. That kind of erasure made us forget our legacy as builders and creators. What I want to do is reestablish that feeling—create a place that’s a beacon for our community, a place that brings back that pride and ownership.
I want this system to honor our past and what we know we’re capable of while using modern tools to grow and sustain it for future generations. That’s the kind of pride I envision—one that allows us to not only celebrate our history but also build a future that honors it and carries it forward for our children and their children.
Read More Articles in Our Ideal Fiber Future Series
- Redefining Fashion’s Future: Rebecca Burgess Envisions Tomorrow’s Textile Landscape
- Post-Fossil Fuel Fashion: Q&A with George Harding-Rolls, Global Policy Researcher and Advocacy Campaigner
- Investing in a Regenerative Fiber Future: A Conversation with Sacred Futures’ Charity May
- The Craft of Culture and Connection: How Project Threadways Preserves Heritage and Shapes the Future of the Textile Industry Through Storytelling