standard glossary text
") ## Our [standards](https://gots.vorschau.website/resources/glossary/standard "standard glossary text
") in a nutshell - [GOTS](https://gots.vorschau.website/resources/glossary/gots "The worldwide leading voluntary sustainability standard for the post-harvest textile value chain for certified organic fibres, covering environmental criteria, human rights, social criteria and business conduct.
") is a voluntary processing standard for textiles made with certified [organic](https://gots.vorschau.website/resources/glossary/organic "'Organic' is a regulated term used to distinguish systems of managed production and products derived therefrom that adhere to principles of health, ecology, fairness and care, and which are certified compliant to an organic standard's regulations by an Approved Certification Body.
GOTS defines organic textiles as being made with fibres from organic agriculture systems that are certified to one of the IFOAM Family of Standards, and that are processed in socially and ecologically responsible ways, in alignment with organic principles.
The ability to trace the origin of an object back to its source.
In a GOTS context, the ability to trace a GOTS Good as it moves through its supply chain.
An individual establishment or site where processing, manufacturing, trading or retailing of GOTS Goods is done. It is operated by a Certified Entity and inspected by an Approved Certifier.
") and 450€ per GRTS certified facility. - Our programme includes rules, procedures, and measures to maintain and uphold integrity, which are revised regularly. ## Rules and framework for integrity - GOTS applies to certified post-harvest processing, manufacturing and trading stages. The [organic fibres](https://gots.vorschau.website/resources/glossary/organic-fibres "Lorem Ipsum dolor sit amet
") entering the GOTS system must be certified to an accepted organic production standard. - Independent, third-party inspection [audit](https://gots.vorschau.website/resources/glossary/audit "A systematic, independent and documented process for obtaining evidence and evaluating it objectively to determine the extent to which the Standard's requirements (including environmental and social criteria) are fulfilled by a Certified Entity or applicant for the status of Certified Entity. Audits are conducted by Approved Certification Bodies (see 'Approved Certification Body').
") and certification of companies. It is done through accredited Certification Bodies (CBs). These are experts in their field, and Global Standards relies on their proven competence, knowledge and experience. All certification decisions are within the responsibility and purview of the CBs. Global Standards does not interfere with the decisions of the independent CBs. - Independent accreditation of CBs. Global Standards has developed its own accreditation system for the approval of CBs, as well as for continuous monitoring of the approved CBs. As a prerequisite, CBs applying for approval as a GOTS/GRTS certifier must already hold a valid accreditation to perform certification in accordance with ISO/IEC Guides 17011 and 17065. - The Global Standards Quality Assurance Unit (QA) oversees and implements rigorous quality control procedures. ## Procedures for integrity - All participants in the Global Standards programme are required to comply with the applicable mandatory requirements. The programme’s control measures are designed to identify and address fraud risks within the certified chain. - Global Standards has a robust complaint system where any individual or organisation is able to register a complaint about perceived violations of GOTS/GRTS requirements. This ensures a formalised, timely and effective means of handling and resolving any complaints raised. - Global Standards reviews all complaints rigorously and works closely with relevant partners (e.g. CBs, ABs) to conduct comprehensive, thorough investigations. - Where evidence of non-compliance arises, Global Standards investigates under its applicable procedures and may take action against implicated parties. GOTS and GRTS labels may be used only in accordance with the applicable certification and labelling requirements. ## Measures for integrity The following measures are designed to support verification of organic-fibre authenticity within the certified GOTS chain, with some controls specifically applicable to cotton: - Fibres entering the GOTS value chain must be certified organic according to a production standard recognised by the IFOAM Family of Standards. - Farmers/ICS groups must register in the Farm-Gin registry before their fibre are permitted to enter the GOTS system. Currently implemented in India, this requirement will soon be in effect globally. - All incoming raw material has to be reported to GOTS along with traceability to the respective farm group, including region, state and province of origin. Wherever the production standard provides for it, the TCs are required to be additionally submitted. - Raw cotton may not travel more than 500 km from the farm to the certified gin. This shorter trade chain protects vulnerable points and optimises the process for buyers. - GOTS approved CBs must verify the Farmers/ICS groups in the farm-gin registry before issuing lint TCs. - CBs must verify the Farm Scope and [Transaction Certificates](https://gots.vorschau.website/resources/glossary/transaction-certificate "A document issued by a GOTS-approved Certification Body for GOTS-certified products, verifying their compliance with the Standard. It provides traceability by listing product details, shipment information and confirming integrity through volume reconciliation process.
") (SCs and TCs) of all materials entering the GOTS value chain. - CBs must validate relevant traceability and transport documentation. - CBs conduct mandatory testing of all seed cotton for [genetically modified organisms](https://gots.vorschau.website/resources/glossary/genetically-modified-organism "Organisms whose genetic material has been altered in a way that does not occur naturally by mating and/or natural recombination. (Source: EUR-Lex, Access to European Union law: https://eur-lex.europa.eu/EN/legal-content/glossary/genetically-modified-organisms-gmo.html)
") using ISO IWA 32 protocol, performed by qualified testing laboratories (e.g., ISO 17025), and further tests (such as pesticide residue testing as per section 5.2.7 of standard version 7.0), either randomly or in case of suspicion of [contamination](https://gots.vorschau.website/resources/glossary/contamination "The presence of a -> Contaminant.
") or non-compliance, based on the risk assessment by the CBs. - Before issuing any TCs, CBs under GOTS must conduct a rigorous assessment including a mandatory plausibility check ([volume reconciliation](https://gots.vorschau.website/resources/glossary/volume-reconciliation "Calculation process by which it is ascertained that output volumes of a product’s certified materials are compatible with their corresponding input volumes. Input volume and output volume of the certified material used for a product are compatible if their ratio falls within a given percentage range, which reflects estimated production losses specific to the production process of the particular product, and if the input volume can be demonstrated to have been available on stock.
")). First processing stage TCs are only issued by CBs after additional validity checks, such as first processing [site](https://gots.vorschau.website/resources/glossary/site "An individual establishment where chemical Inputs are formulated (see Formulator) and produced. It is included in a Letter of Approval and audited by a Scope 4 Approved Certifier.
") capacities, stock positions, full traceability evidence back to the farm as well as verified financial transactions between concerned parties. - To strengthen integrity and traceability, GOTS also requires that the Farm TC number appears on the first GOTS TC at the ginning stage. The TC must state the origin for raw material, including region, state, and province. This effectively traces material back to the field and adds another layer of accountability to GOTS-certified fibre. - CBs perform unannounced audits of gins where there is a high perception of risk. The GOTS Quality Assurance Unit (QA) additionally performs the following tasks to maintain integrity and transparency: - QA performs a comprehensive review of ginner applications in the GOTS database. - QA ensures that certified gins are located within a 500-kilometer radius of the farm groups or farms supplying the [raw fibres](https://gots.vorschau.website/resources/glossary/raw-fibres "Fibres that have not undergone any post-harvest processing.
"). - QA organises, annually, residual chemical testing of certified products that have been randomly picked up from retail stores across the globe to confirm compliance with GOTS criteria. - QA periodically sample lint cotton from ginners to assess [GMO](https://gots.vorschau.website/resources/glossary/gmo "Organisms whose genetic material has been altered in a way that does not occur naturally by mating and/or natural recombination. (Source: EUR-Lex, Access to European Union law: https://eur-lex.europa.eu/EN/legal-content/glossary/genetically-modified-organisms-gmo.html)
") presence. - QA regularly shares a list of potential high-risk entities with all CBs. - QA performs random checks of SCs, TCs, and Letters of Approval issued by CBs. Bans - If an investigation uncovers evidence of fraud, the company will be excluded from the GOTS/GRTS programme, in strict accordance with the established complaint procedure. Additionally, the findings will be publicly disclosed on the official Global Standards website. Withdrawal of TCs - Transaction Certificates (TCs) linked to fraud will be revoked by the relevant CBs, and any finished products will be prohibited from carrying the GOTS label. Upholding Integrity Through Collaboration with Stakeholders - Global Standards cultivates a robust and continuous dialogue with both fellow certification scheme owners and key stakeholders within the organic industry, nurturing collaboration across a spectrum of important issues. - Global Standards has an ongoing collaboration with Organic Cotton Accelerator (OCA) and Textile Exchange to provide the textile sector with an overview of global laboratories that can reliably conduct GMO testing as per the ISO IWA 32:2019 protocol – a common language among laboratories worldwide to screen for the potential presence of genetically modified (GM) cotton along the organic cotton value chain. - Global Standards co-hosted the Organic Cotton & Textiles Conference in Indore, India in February 2023 with partners Organic Cotton Accelerator (OCA) and IFOAM – Organics International. The conference focused on collaborative solutions to industry-wide issues of transparency, integrity and capacity. - Global Standards is collaborating with the European Space Agency (ESA) on a demonstrator project that employs AI and satellite imagery to detect organic versus non-organic cotton fields, enhancing the monitoring of organic cotton cultivation systems. - Global Standards is in the process of developing a central database that will trace the origins of organic materials across the entire GOTS chain of custody. This database will cover the journey from the raw material's source, through the initial processing stages, and extend all the way to the final product. To ensure the standard's independence from economic influences, a portion of the development costs is being covered by public funding.