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GLOBAL ORGANIC TEXTILE STANDARD
ECOLOGY & SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY

Fibre Producers

GOTS is an ecological and socially responsible textile processing standard, with certification beginning at the initial processing stage of textile fibres. GOTS certification does not directly cover raw fibres, but GOTS requires that incoming fibres are certified to an approved Organic Standard.

For example, in the case of cotton, the first processing stage is ginning, whereby seeds and chaf are carefully removed from the cotton lint. Other examples are retting for bast fibres (e.g., flax, hemp, jute, kenaf, ramie) or scouring for wool. Such initial processing of fibres is directly covered by GOTS certification.
Although raw fibres are not certified to GOTS, there are strict requirements for the fibres that are allowed in the GOTS value chain. These requirements guarantee that only fibres meeting the organic and sustainability criteria specified by GOTS are processed in the production of certified textiles.

Requirements for Organic Fibres

  • Raw fibres must be certified to an organic production standard approved within the IFOAM Family of Standards for the relevant scope of production, e.g., fibre crops or animal fibres.

  • Qualitative GMO Screening of organic cotton is required, following the ISO IWA 32 standard.

  • Raw fibres originating from production sites with a persistent pattern of gross violations of the International Labour Organization (ILO) core labour norms, animal welfare principles (e.g., mulesing sheep), and/or land grabbing are strictly prohibited.

  • The use of fibres sourced from production sites located in areas with high risk for human rights violations may necessitate additional mitigation measures, such as additional on-site social audits. These measures ensure that the fibres entering the GOTS supply chain were produced in compliance with GOTS Human Rights and Social Criteria.

  • GOTS mandates that the organic fibre producer’s Scope Certificate (SC) number and corresponding input Transcation Certificate (TC) number shall be included on the first GOTS TC. This means that the TC from the gin to the spinner shall include the organic certification details for the organic fibre producer. This ensures traceability of organic fibres back to the farm.

  • The place of origin - country, region, and province - of raw organic fibres entering the GOTS system must be declared on the initial Transaction Certificate (TC) from the farm. The place of origin shall be included in all concurrent TCs as the fibre moves through the supply chain and is processed into textiles.

  • Raw cotton is limited to 500 km of travel distance from the organic certified farm to the GOTS certified gin. In exceptional cases, GOTS can issue an exemption. The shorter supply chains are designed to increase sustainability and to reduce associated risks.

  • In India, organic cotton producers (farmers and farmer-groups) and GOTS gins must be registered in the GOTS Farm to Gin Registry. Gins must declare from which producer they intend to acquire their organic cotton. This is to increase traceability and integrity.

Requirements for Additional Fibres

Individually or in combination up to 30% for

    • Non-organic certified plant or animal fibres that comes from non-GMO sources
    • Cellulose based regenerated fibres such as Lyocell from sustainable sources (e.g. FSC) (up to 30%), viscose, modal (up to 10%). All from non-GMO sources.
    • Protein based regenerated fibres such as casein, from non-GMO sources
    • Certain recycled synthetic fibres, such as recycled polyester (up to 20%)
    • Certain virgin fibres such as elastane (up to 10%)
    • PLA fibre from non-GMO biomass sources

These additional fibres are allowed to be used at certain percentages only. Please refer to GOTS 7.0 Section 3.2.3 to find out corresponding restrictions.

PROHIBITED ADDITIONAL FIBRES

Some certain fibre categories are explicitly prohibited by GOTS:

    • Conventionally grown cotton
    • Virgin polyester
    • Conventional angora hair
    • Acrylic
    • Wool that comes from farms where mulesing is practised
    • Asbestos, Carbon and Silver Fibres


FAQ

Why does GOTS certification not include raw fibre production but instead rely on IFOAM – Organics International’s Family of Standards?

  • GOTS certification does not directly cover raw fibres because organic production standards already exist. GOTS is focused on the processing stages of textile fibres, not the initial production of raw materials. GOTS relies on the expertise and established organic production standards that have been accredited to the Family Standards of IFOAM (International Federation of Organic Agriculture Movements) to ensure the organic integrity of the raw fibres used in the GOTS value chain. The IFOAM Family of Standards consists of a comprehensive set of internationally recognised organic production standards that cover various scopes, including crop and animal production. These standards provide clear guidelines and criteria for organic practises, ensuring that raw fibres meet specific organic requirements, including the non-use of synthetic fertilisers, genetically modified organisms (GMOs), and hazardous chemicals.

By relying on IFOAM-approved organic production standards, GOTS builds upon the expertise and credibility of established organisations in the field of organic agriculture. It allows GOTS to extend the integrity and consistency of organic practises from the initial production stage into the subsequent processing stages covered by its certification system.



Why can't GOTS products made with "organic in-conversion" fibres be labelled as such in the USA, but “organic” and “made with organic” can?

  • The term “organic” has been trademarked by the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), and it is only permitted to be used for products derived from farms that have completed their conversion period and have acquired organic certification according to the National Organic Program (NOP)

  • A valid requirement in this context is that all the fibres identified as organic in these textiles shall be produced and certified to the USDA NOP (National Organic Program) regulations.

  • Organic is primarily a food production and processing standard, however the USDA policy memorandum "Labelling of Textiles That Contain Organic Ingredients" clarifies that textile products that are produced in accordance with, and certified to, GOTS may be sold and labelled as organic in the United States. This is because GOTS Goods, like organic food products, are composed of organically produced ingredients and processed according to organic principles. This applies to both “Organic” and “Made with Organic” GOTS Label Grades.