The GOTS certification becomes more accessible to smaller players

The Global Organic Textile Standard is a certification scheme for organic materials that incorporates social and environmental criteria. The body is announcing a pilot initiative aimed at making its certification more accessible to small operators, by removing the obstacles that usually dissuade them.

To this end, GOTS has announced the deployment of a system known as the “controlled supply chain system” (CSCS). The aim is to enable small and medium-sized operators to benefit from a grouped control and audit system, thereby reducing the costs and administrative procedures involved in the criteria required for the certification. 

“Under the CSCS, a supply chain made up of eight to thirty small-scale facilities, each with at least twenty employees, could be considered as a single certified entity after a full risk assessment by its certification body,” sums up the organisation. 

The soon-to-be century-old textile manufacturer Sankei Meriyasu, which supplies the Sainteté, Eiji and Dubble Works brands among others, has already been able to obtain its GOTS certification via this new simplified system, after an inspection by the Ecocert organisation. The pilot project is due to be reviewed and evaluated next year, so that it can be optimised for the future.

 “The controlled supply chain system has the potential to have a substantial impact, by empowering small operators in the organic textile supply chain and revolutionising GOTS certification,” says GOTS Managing Director Rahul Bhajekar. “Our pilot project is proving that the programme is working as intended, overcoming obstacles and opening up opportunities. We look forward to refining and validating the CSCS requirements, with the hope of fully implementing them across all markets.”

At the end of its 2022 financial year, GOTS had 13,549 certified production sites in 84 countries, an increase of 10% in one year. These sites are located mainly in India (3,699), Turkey (1,674), China (1,646) and Bangladesh (1,289). But also in Italy (1,061), Germany (830) and France (276). Twenty-four certification bodies are in a position to carry out inspections linked to its certifications.