GOTS – Global organic textile standard oriented toward green and sustainable production

An increasing number of consumers prioritize products that are environmentally and health friendly. The GOTS standard (Global Organic Textile Standard) is a leading international certification for the organic textile sector. GOTS establishes stringent requirements across the entire supply chain—from raw materials and production to packaging—to ensure that textile products are not only safe but also socially and environmentally responsible.

What is GOTS?

GOTS (Global Organic Textile Standard) is defined as the world’s leading textile processing standard for organic fibers. This definition contains an important distinction. GOTS is not merely a standard that verifies the organic content of raw materials—a role commonly fulfilled by standards such as OCS (Organic Content Standard). Instead, the core value of GOTS lies in its comprehensive control of the production processes that occur after fiber harvesting.

This standard is designed to address a major paradox of sustainable fashion: a product may be made from 100% organic cotton but still undergo wet processing stages (such as dyeing and finishing) that use hazardous chemicals, causing environmental pollution and affecting consumer health. GOTS prevents this by integrating stringent environmental, human rights, and social criteria into a single system. It ensures that “organic” integrity is maintained from farm to finished product, with particular focus on the most environmentally intensive stages of the textile industry, including the mandatory requirement for functional wastewater treatment facilities for any wet-processing unit.

To achieve certification, GOTS requires that a textile product contain a minimum of 70% certified organic fibers. However, fiber content is only one of the four pillars monitored by GOTS. A GOTS-certified product represents the integration of:

• Organic fibers: Must meet the minimum percentage requirement.
• Environmental criteria: Including strict restrictions on input chemicals (dyes, auxiliaries), wastewater management, and energy consumption.
• Social and human rights criteria: Based on the core conventions of the International Labour Organization (ILO). GOTS prohibits child labor and forced labor and requires safe working conditions, gender equality, and payment of a living wage.
• Technical quality and human toxicity criteria: Ensuring that the final product is safe for users and has the required durability.

This comprehensive integration is what gives GOTS its strength. It provides a single assessment framework for the environmental, social, and governance (ESG) aspects of the textile supply chain.

Based on organic fiber content, GOTS specifies two clearly defined labeling levels:

• Level 1: “Organic”: Requires the product to contain at least 95% certified organic fibers and a maximum of 5% non-organic natural or synthetic fibers.
• Level 2: “Made with x% organic”: Requires the product to contain at least 70% certified organic fibers.

Importance of GOTS for enterprises

According to the 2024 Annual Report published by Global Standard, GOTS continues on a stable growth trajectory. As of 2024, there were 15,441 GOTS-certified facilities worldwide. This figure represents an increase of 5.2% compared with the 14,676 facilities reported in 2023.

The GOTS ecosystem is currently present in 87 countries and is overseen by 26 independent certification bodies approved by GOTS.

Below is Table 3.1, summarizing key statistics on the scope and growth of GOTS:

Table 3.1: Growth statistics and global scope of GOTS (2023–2024)

Mandatory scope within the supply chain

GOTS applies to the entire supply chain. GOTS certification is divided into specific scopes for different types of enterprises:

• Scope 1: Certification of mechanical processing activities (e.g. spinning, weaving).
• Scope 2: Certification of wet processing and finishing activities (e.g. dyeing, printing).
• Scope 3: Certification of trading activities and related products (e.g. importers, distributors).
• Scope 4: Approval of textile auxiliaries (input chemicals).

This means that GOTS certification is not limited to manufacturers of finished garments. A fashion brand cannot simply purchase conventional fabric, sew garments, and then apply for GOTS certification. For a final product to be labeled, every entity involved in creating the product—from spinning mills, weaving mills, dyeing facilities, garment factories, and even traders—must be independently GOTS-certified.

For Vietnamese enterprises, even those operating at only one stage (such as spinning or dyeing), certification is mandatory if they wish to participate in the GOTS supply chain and serve customers that require this standard.

Benefits of enterprise adoption

Pursuing GOTS certification requires investment in time and resources, but it delivers strategic benefits that extend beyond initial costs. These benefits can be classified into three main groups: internal operations, risk management, and market strategy.

Operational and efficiency benefits (internal to the enterprise)

Contrary to the perception that GOTS only increases costs, compliance with its stringent criteria can, in practice, create efficiencies and reduce long-term operating costs.

• Ecological efficiency: Tight management of water, energy, and chemicals as required helps reduce waste and operating expenses.
• Social efficiency: Ensuring safe and fair working conditions helps increase productivity and worker engagement while reducing employee turnover.

Financial and risk management benefits

At a strategic level, GOTS functions as a comprehensive risk management tool for the supply chain.

• Shift of verification burden: Brands do not need to incur costs for auditing suppliers. Instead, GOTS (as a third party) performs this verification, allowing suppliers to rely on a single certification.
• B2B signaling: Achieving GOTS serves as a strong B2B signal of reliability, reduces commercial friction, and demonstrates readiness to comply with increasingly stringent regulations.

Strategic and market benefits (external to the enterprise)

GOTS certification acts as a strategic positioning tool that affects both B2B and B2C relationships.

• Credibility: Provides independent and reliable verification for consumers, replacing unverified self-declarations.
• Differentiation: Creates clear added value compared with conventional products, helping to attract customer segments willing to pay a premium.
• Market access: As a globally recognized certification, GOTS facilitates entry into new and demanding markets, such as public procurement markets in Europe.

Conclusion

GOTS is not only a certification for organic products but also a comprehensive commitment to environmental, social, and ethical practices in textile production. Achieving GOTS enables Vietnamese enterprises to enhance credibility, meet stringent international market requirements, and move toward a sustainable development model in which economic benefits are aligned with responsibility to people and the planet.