First off, what does GOTS stands for? It stands for Global Organic Textile Standard.
With today’s sustainability challenges and the contribution of the fashion and textile industry to those challenges, we must collectively rethink production and consumption of textiles. Organic fibres play multifaceted roles in creating an industry that actively lowers its environmental impact and prioritizes human health over short term profit.
The GOTS organization was launched in 2006 backed by four well-reputed organizations: Organic Trade Association (OTA, USA), Internationaler Verband der Naturtextilwirtschaft (IVN, Germany), The Soil Association (UK) and Japan Organic Cotton Association (JOCA, Japan). It is the worldwide leading textile processing standard for organic fibres, including ecological and social criteria, backed up by independent third-party certification of the entire textile supply chain.
Their vision is that organic textiles will become a significant part of everyday life, enhancing people's lives and the environment.
GOTS certification builds upon four distinctive and unique features:
- Organic fibres
- Ecological and social criteria
- All processing stages
- Third-Party Verification
We encourage you to learn more about GOTS, to be more informed consumers when you go out into the market.
The GOTS website is full of a wealth of useful information: https://global-standard.org/
Some handy links from the GOTS website:
GOTS Version 6.0 https://global-standard.org/images/resource-library/documents/standard-and-manual/gots_version_6_0_en1.pdf
GOTS Annual Report 2021 https://global-standard.org/images/resource-library/documents/GOTS-Annual-Reports/GOTS_Annual_Report_2021_WEB.pdf
Source: GOTS website