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.
") Representative Sandra Marquardt and GOTS Technical Committee Representative Gwendolyn Wyard ([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.
standard glossary text
") Coordinator for Whole Foods Market which is developing an internal textile policy prioritizing GOTS-certification. After the presentation, the group met with the new US Department of Agriculture (USDA) National Organic Program Director of the [Standards](https://gots.vorschau.website/resources/glossary/standard "standard glossary text
") Division and discussed revisions to [USDA’s 2011 Organic Textile Memorandum](http://ota.com/sites/default/files/indexed_files/What_are_Organic_Fiber_Products.pdf). Sandra and Gwendolyn also took part in an Organic Trade Association meeting of its new Fiber Council which discussed educational outreach and research opportunities for the year. Also attending were the Specialty Sleep Association, certifier Oregon Tilth, representatives of TOCMC and GOTS-certified Maggie’s Organic, MetaWear, and Naturepedic, as well as MOM’s Organic Market which is finalizing a policy to require GOTS for all its textile products, soon becoming the first company in the U.S. to institute such a policy. Marquardt then went to the show floor to visit the booth of GOTS-certified women’s apparel [brand](https://gots.vorschau.website/resources/glossary/brand "A registered or unregistered trademark or other sign other than the GOTS Signs.
The term, in context, can also refer to an organisation that controls the design, development, and purchase of final products for sale under their own name. In that context, brands may sell to wholesalers, retailers, or directly to consumers. This does not include organisations who sell a branded intermediate product for use in further processing steps.