GOTS’ India Conference 
  a Sold-Out Success

GOTS' first and sold-out international conference, held in May in Mumbai, India, was attended by more than 250 representatives from 12 countries including Bangladesh, Belgium, France, India, Germany, Japan, New Zealand, Switzerland, Taiwan, USA, UAE, and the UK. Attendees included brands and retailers, buying agents, manufacturers of textiles and additives, certification bodies, testing laboratories, trade associations, NGOs, academics, media, consultants, and more. The event received excellent feedback from the attendees for quality of sessions and speakers, as well as networking opportunities. More than 35 per cent of facilities certified to GOTS worldwide (in 2014) are located in India. For an overview of the conference and to download presentations, visit http://www.global-standard.org/gotsconference.html. Stay tuned for plans for the next GOTS conference! 

Many thanks to our Sponsors

and Supporters

and Media Partners

Number of Global Organic Textile Standard (GOTS) Facilities Increases 18% in 2014

The number of facilities certified to GOTS grew by more than 18% last year, from 3085 facilities in 2013 to 3663 facilities in 2014. GOTS certified facilities are now located in 64 countries around the world. The top fifteen countries in terms of the total number of GOTS-certified facilities are (by rank): India, Turkey, Germany, China, Bangladesh, Pakistan, Italy, South Korea, Portugal, Japan, France, USA, UK, Austria, and Hong Kong. Countries with the greatest increase in GOTS certification in 2014 are (in order by rank): India (+338), Bangladesh (+89), Germany (+32), Turkey (+21) and China (+18). Growth is evenly spread across all market segments including the mass market and the big brands.

Read more here

GOTS Consumer Flyer Copies Available

GOTS offers a consumer-friendly flyer, “Compare – From Field to Fashion” which highlights the benefits of certified organic textiles, and explains the standard to consumers. The flyer, available in English and German, has been hugely popular in Europe with retailers mailing copies along with their GOTS goods, or handing them out at stores to demonstrate their support for the standard. Together with our 4-minute SimpleShow Clip, these are clear and entertaining tools perfect for consumer education and awareness-raising. GOTS is pleased to offer the high quality flyer, which is printed on FSC-certified paper and includes the QR code to the movie, at cost price (€ 0,10 per piece, plus postage and VAT). The minimum order quantity is 100 flyers.
Interested? Contact to request pricing.

GOTS Simple Show Clip in English and German available

GOTS' entertaining new four minute video made by Simple Show is nowavailable in English and German.  GOTS is explained using very simple and engaging story line graphics. The two main objectives are to make clear that only using organic fiber is a step in the right direction but not enough and that only if a product shows the GOTS logo with the license number and certifiers reference can one be sure that it is GOTS-certified. You can watch it on the GOTS website or embed it from Youtube.

Watch the clip on the GOTS website

Youtube English

Youtube German

GOTS Re-elected to German Partnership for Sustainable Textile Steering Committee

GOTS was re-elected to the Steering Committee of the German Partnership for Sustainable Textiles. The German government launched the Partnership together with representatives of the private sector and civil society in October, 2014. The goal is to improve the social, ecological, and economic conditions in the supply chains for textiles and apparel products, and GOTS is one of the standards included in the Partnership’s “Plan of Action.” GOTS – represented by Marketing Director Claudia Kersten – was elected by the other Partnership standard organizations to represent to represent them all on the Steering Committee.

GOTS Presents About the Organic Wool Market at IWTO in China

GOTS Managing Director Herbert Ladwig presented about the international market for organic wool at the IWTO Congress in China in May. He noted that approximately 1% of the world’s sheep are organically managed with a total flock of almost 12 million in 2013, mostly in China. “Producing high quality and traceable organic wool products that are attractive to consumers meets a growing demand for organic textiles, and represents an opportunity for the wool industry worldwide.

Reports Show Organic Cotton Production, Organic Textiles Market Increased in 2014

Global production of organic cotton increased 10 percent in 2014 to an estimated 116,794 metric tons after three years of steady decline, according to Textile Exchange’s 2014 Organic Cotton Market Report. The world's organic cotton market is now valued at $15.7 billion. The Top 10 organic cotton users by volume are C&A, H&M, Tchibo, Decathlon, Nike, Carrefour, Target, Lindex, Inditex, and PUMA. In the UK, the Soil Association’s 2015 Organic Market Report  showed that sales of organic textile products increased by 3.4% to £18.6 million in 2014. Similarly, according to the Organic Trade Association’s Organic Industry Survey, the U.S. market for organic textiles witnessed $1.1 billion in sales in 2014 and is the most rapidly growing non-food organic category in the U.S. The organic textile category grew 18% in 2014, its strongest growth since 2009.

Textile Exchange Hosts October Annual Conference in Mumbai

Textile Exchange hosts its annual conference in Mumbai, India, October 5-10. GOTS is a sponsor of the Organic Cotton Round Table on October 8 during which GOTS India/Bangladesh Representative Sumit Gupta will host a discussion about the “Relevance of Supply Chain Certifications at Later Stages of Production.” is speaking on the first day’s “Integrity” seminar panel. (See also “GOTS in Action” below.)

Indian Government Decision Re Export of Organic Products Does Not Affect Textiles Made From Organic Fiber

On May 5, India’s Director General of Foreign Trade, Ministry of Commerce issued a new public notice (No. 10/2015-2020) stating that "the procedure for export of all the certified organic products, included in the NPOP document, as notified vide Public Notice No. 73 dated 18.11.2014, except Textiles (emphasis added), will come into operation with effect from 01.06.2015." Accordingly, GOTS certified and labelled textiles will not be affected by this procedure.

For more information, see the GOTS analysis

GOTS in Action - Upcoming Meetings and Presentations

GOTS staff and representatives are always on the move! Please contact us if you would like to meet at any of the below events or have questions in general.

August 26: The 27th AIMS Annual Management Education Convention 2015 in Indore, India. GOTS India/Bangladesh Representative Sumit Gupta will be speaking on the topic “Use of Standards as a Sustainability Management Tool.” Contact .

August 26:  Roundtable on 'Building a Sustainable Business Model: Organic Cotton from Farm to Fabric' in Shanghai, China, hosted by the China Chamber of Commerce for Import and Export of Textile and Apparel and RARE.  GOTS China Representative Felicia Shi will be joining the panel discussion. Contact .

August 27: China Apparel E-Commerce Summit 2015 in Hongqiao, China. GOTS China Representative Felicia Shi will attend. Contact .

September 1-3: Munich Fabric Start, Germany. GOTS Marketing Director and Germany/ Austria/ Switzerland Representative Claudia Kersten will host a booth in the Eco Village, and give a lecture Tuesday, September 1, on the “Ecological, Social, and Qualitative Aspects Regarding the Production and Processing of Natural and Synthetic Fibers.” Contact .

September 17-19: All Things Organic conference co-located with the Natural Products Expo East in Baltimore, Maryland. GOTS North America Representative Sandra Marquardt is speaking on a panel, "Field to Tee: Organic Textiles," Friday, September 18. Contact .

September 30-October 5: ISOFAR 2015 Goesan Organic Expo in Goesan, Korea. GOTS China Representative Felicia Shi provides the keynote speech. In addition, Shi and Japan Representative Satoko Miyoshi will host a GOTS seminar, “Markets and Certification Standards of Organic Textiles” on October 1, and a booth from September 30 - October 5. Contact , .

October 5-10: Textile Exchange 2015 Textile Sustainability Conference in Mumbai, India. GOTS is a sponsor, and GOTS India/Bangladesh Representative Sumit Gupta is speaking on the first day’s “Integrity” seminar panel. GOTS Technical Assistant Prachi Gupta also will be attending. Contact or .   

October 13-15: Intertextile Shanghai Apparel Fabrics Autumn Edition 2015. GOTS China Representative Felicia Shi will staff the GOTS booth and give a speech in the “All About Sustainability” zone on October 14. Contact .

November 4-5: Ethical Fashion Forum SOURCE Expo. GOTS UK representative Christopher Stopes is participating in the event, and will also host a GOTS webinar following it. GOTS is a Founding Partner of the Ethical Fashion Forum. For details, contact .

November 5-7, 2015: Biofach India in Kochi, India. GOTS India/ Bangladesh Representative Sumit Gupta will staff a booth. GOTS is also a supporter to the event. Contact .