14,676 establishments in 89 countries received GOTS certification in 2023, an 8% rise from the year before. They collaborated with Marple and the ESA to create remote satellite monitoring for organic cotton farming. In March 2023, the new GOTS Version 7.0 was announced, and facilities have a year to comply throughout the transition period. For businesses manufacturing organic textiles, this version offers a comprehensive solution that guarantees due diligence with respect to human rights and the environment throughout the whole value chain.
For leaders in the textile sector to demonstrate their commitment to sustainability, the Global Organic Textile Standard (GOTS) has proven essential. GOTS’s managing director, Claudia Kersten, notes that it improves operational efficiency and functions as a tool for risk management. With the introduction of new supply chain requirements, GOTS also assists businesses in proving legal compliance. A six-step due diligence procedure and guidebook are included in GOTS Version 7.0 to assist certified operations in identifying and minimizing negative effects in their value chains.
The European Space Agency (ESA) is collaborating with artificial intelligence (AI) to utilize satellite data to identify and classify cotton fields in India based on cultivation standards. This partnership aims to improve the accuracy of estimating organic cotton yields in specific regions by integrating standardized metrics. It also seeks to identify fields with the potential for transitioning to organic cultivation. Additionally, the Farm-Gin Registry was introduced in India for the 2022-2023 harvest season to enhance the integrity of organic cotton production by collecting data on organic raw seed cotton.
