Global Organic Textile Standard (GOTS)

GOTS covers the whole textile supply chain, not just the cotton field. Processing stages such as spinning, knitting, dyeing and sewing, and the traders in between, are inspected by independent certification bodies on an annual cycle.

There are two label grades. 'Organic' requires at least 95% certified organic fibre, and 'made with organic' requires at least 70%. Chemical inputs are restricted, and products can be tested for residues in accredited laboratories.

GOTS also sets social criteria based on International Labour Organization conventions. They apply at every processing and manufacturing stage and include freely chosen employment, freedom of association, no child labour, safe working conditions and the payment of living wages.

Textiles have one of the longest supply chains in everyday shopping. A T-shirt can pass through a farm, a spinner, a dyehouse and a sewing floor, often in different countries, and each step is a point where costs can be pushed onto workers or the environment.

GOTS makes those steps visible. Because certification follows the product through each stage, a GOTS label tells you something about the whole chain rather than a single point in it.

On its own it isn't a fair trade certification: it doesn't set minimum prices or trading terms. That's why the brands here are also vetted against fair trade standards before they're listed, with GOTS as one strong piece of evidence.