In
2020, the number of GOTS certified facilities grew by 34 per cent globally, to
a new high of 10,388 from 7,765 in 2019. 16 GOTS Approved Certification Bodies
report that over 3 million people in over 72 countries were working in GOTS
certified facilities.
Significant
increases are seen in all regions. Top 10 countries for certified facilities
are India (2,994), Bangladesh (1,584), Turkey (1,107), China (961), Germany
(684), Italy (585), Portugal (449), Pakistan (391), USA (167) and Sri Lanka
(126).
GOTS
approved chemical inputs now number 25,913, an increase of 13 per cent in 2020.
This confirms that these inputs are increasingly used as a risk management tool
by wet processors to satisfy legal and commercial residue requirements.
“The
exceptional increase in this unprecedented year shows that decision makers
value GOTS as an important tool to drive sustainable transformation in a
comprehensive way – from field to fashion. Using organic fibres and processing
them under strict GOTS criteria definitely provides a credible and strong base
for market players to be successful in the future†said GOTS Managing Director Claudia Kersten.
GOTS
version 6.0, to be implemented from 1 March 2021, includes stricter social and
environmental criteria. Certified Entities will now have to calculate the gap
between wages paid to ‘Living Wages’ and
will be encouraged to work towards closing this gap. Specific references to
OECD Due Diligence Guidance and Good Practice Guidance for Social Criteria and
Risk Assessment as well as Ethical Business Practises have been explicitly
included.
GOTS
is the stringent voluntary global standard for the entire post-harvest
processing (including spinning, knitting, weaving, dyeing and manufacturing) of
apparel and home textiles made with certified organic fibre (such as organic
cotton and organic wool), and includes both environmental and social criteria.
Key provisions include a ban on the use of genetically modified organisms
(GMOs), highly hazardous chemicals (such as azo dyes and formaldehyde), and
child labour, while requiring strong social compliance management systems and
strict waste water treatment practices. GOTS was developed by leading
international standard setters – Organic Trade Association (U.S.), Japan
Organic Cotton Association, International Association Natural Textile Industry
(Germany), and Soil Association (UK) to define globally-recognised requirements
that ensure the organic status of textiles, from field to finished product.
GOTS is a non-profit organisation which is self-financed. For more information
please see www.global-standard.org and follow @globalorganictextilestandard on
LinkedIn, Instagram and Facebook.