Change starts with something as simple as the pair of underwear you step into in the morning.

You know the pair you're presumably wearing while you read this? Maybe they're from the mall or a department store, or from a giant multipack you threw in the cart amidst economy-sized tubes of toothpaste.

That pair of underwear is an agricultural product — just like those strawberries, tomatoes and corn that you love.

Unfortunately, despite us associating cotton with all things cozy and nostalgic — the newborn swaddled in a cotton blanket, your favorite cotton T-shirt — the truth about conventional cotton is pretty grim.

And what about the farmers harvesting that conventional cotton?

Cotton is considered the world's dirtiest crop due to its heavy use of pesticides. Worldwide, cotton covers 2.5% of the cultivated land and cotton growers use 16% of the world's pesticides.

This cotton is grown next to our food supply and communities which can be affected by water pollution from chemicals.

But the problems with conventional cotton don't stop at the field. The cotton is trucked into a factory, often treated with harsh petroleum-based chemicals, and coated with silicone waxes. Add ammonia and formaldehyde, and a dip in some toxic solutions to make sure it's flame and soil retardant.

Sounds like a healthy working environment, I guess, as long as you're not a fan of breathing.

The end product? A piece of clothing that is over-processed and chemical-laden.

Now picture an organic field: healthy, non-GMO cotton, grown by a family-run cooperative. No pesticides or chemicals — just water, organic compost, and warm sunshine.

When it's time to harvest, farmers will carefully pick it by hand, and get a predictable fair price for that super-soft, all-natural goodness. They'll use the money to support their families, their communities and their children's education.

We make a point of getting to know the farmers harvesting our organic, hypoallergenic cotton on their three acres of land. Our employees are happy and well-compensated for sewing our products in clean, safe factories.

Our products are made with non-toxic dyes and even our packaging is sustainably sourced and 100% recyclable. We're a part of the process from seed to shelf.

I became involved in the natural foods industry at the age of 23 when I founded Bear Naked Granola because the cartoon characters on the front of cereal boxes masked the low integrity of the ingredients in the box.

Consumers didn't know what they were eating and where food came from every morning to start the day. I felt consumers deserved the Bear Naked truth about where our simple ingredients you could pronounce came from, how we baked our product, and why eating minimally processed foods can encourage active living.

In the apparel industry's case, we again need to stop looking at the cartoon characters on the front of packages and in commercials. While I admit I can be caught singing along to Justin Bieber tunes in the car, I don't see how using him, or another celebrity, should distract from the question of what impact making the product had on our planet.

Not enough people realize that the textile industry is one of the most toxic industries on the planet, and is the second biggest polluter of clean water (the agriculture industry is the first).

No, our underwear is not edible — but what we make and wear everyday can change the apparel industry for good.

A portion of each purchase goes directly into a Fair Trade fund controlled by the workers and farmers who made that product for you. They get to use that money to improve their communities, support their families, and live better lives.

In the end, it's about people. Robots don't make your clothes — people do. Change can begin with a pint of organic strawberries, a carton of hormone-free milk, and even your next pair of undies at your local Whole Foods Market.

Brendan Synnott is the CEO of PACT | ORGANIC