GOTS registers highest growth rate ever in 2019

In 2019, the number of GOTS-certified facilities globally grew by 35 per cent, from 5,760 to 7,765 located in 70 countries. The number demonstrates that GOTS successfully serves as sustainable solution. The required certified organic fibres protect the climate by absorbing CO2 and every processing step—from field to fashion—has to meet stringent social and environmental criteria before a finished product is allowed to carry the GOTS label.

This huge leap forward was seen in both, production and consuming regions. Countries with largest growth in GOTS-certification in percentage in 2019 are: Netherlands (73 per cent), Bangladesh (73 per cent), Spain (71 per cent), and Turkey (65 per cent). In terms of total numbers of certified facilities, the highest increase is reported from Bangladesh (+505), followed by India (+438) and Europe (+396).
The top 10 countries in terms of total numbers of GOTS-certified facilities in 2019 are: India (2411), Bangladesh (1194), Turkey (858), Germany (565), China (448), Italy (444), Portugal (301), Pakistan (276), USA (147), and the UK (75).

“The enormous growth shows that GOTS successfully serves as sustainable solution from certified organic fibre to finished product. With more and more GOTS certified operations and products we altogether substantially contribute to sustainable development.” Claudia Kersten, GOTS Managing Director. GOTS certification helps to ensure compliance with each of the 17 UN Sustainable Development Goals.

More than 3 Million workers working in GOTS-certified facilities were reported in 2019 by the 17 accredited independent Certification Bodies. 2019 was also a GOTS revision year resulting in the new GOTS Version 6.0, due to be released in spring 2020. In the past five years, local exporters and international organisations have heavily invested in improving environmental and social conditions in Bangladesh. Bangladesh showed one of the highest growths this year with a 73 per cent increase in GOTS certified facilities. The high level of interest in the GOTS Bangladesh Seminar 2019 is also reflected in the number of certified facilities.

India has been at the top position with highest number of GOTS certified facilities since 2008. This year, there was an increase of 438 GOTS-certified facilities in India. “With the whole supply chain from farm to retail, along with suppliers of GOTS Approved Chemical Inputs, India has a unique position in the organic textiles industry.

More than 10 Indian brands are offering GOTS labelled goods in Indian retail, while few others are using GOTS as a risk management tool and may start labelling in the future,” Sumit Gupta, GOTS Representative in India and Bangladesh.

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 (US), 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.