Global Organic Textile Standard expands

The number of facilities certified to the Global Organic Textile Standard (GOTS) kept on growing last year, increasing from 3,663 facilities in 2014 to 3,814 facilities in 2015. GOTS certified facilities are now located in 68 countries around the world, up from 63 in 2014. Growth is evenly spread across all market segments including the mass market and the big brands. GOTS is recognized worldwide as the leading processing standard for textiles made with organic fibers, and GOTS certification enables consumers to purchase items that are certified organic from field to finished product, it said in a press release.

India tops the list of countries or regions with the largest increase in GOTS certification in 2015 with +74, followed by Europe (+58), Turkey (+27) and Bangladesh (+21). The Top 15 countries in terms of the total number of GOTS certified facilities are: India (1,441), Turkey (489), Germany (306), Bangladesh (210), China (201) Pakistan (142), Italy (141), Portugal (89), South Korea (80), Japan (65), USA (60), France (56), UK (49), Austria (49), and Denmark (41).

"The figures show that GOTS' credible and independent certification of the entire supply chain is an important driver for the business case for sustainability - in contrast to mere self-claims," said Claudia Kersten, GOTS Marketing Director.

The organization also announced that to-date, the GOTS accredited independent certification bodies report 847,749 people working in 2,799 (out of the actual 3,814) GOTS certified facilities. The number is likely to reach one million when the final figures are received.

"This number is a further indication of the relevance of the Global Organic Textile Standard, in addition to the number of GOTS certified operations. We will, with the cooperation of the independent GOTS certifiers and academic research, collect and report additional data in order to demonstrate GOTS' ecological and social impact," said Herbert Ladwig, GOTS Managing Director.

Several US companies became certified to GOTS in 2015 including