'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
") ([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.
")) Certification in Bangladesh Highly Successful** ***Participants from whole organic textile supply chain deliberated on the business case for [sustainability](https://gots.vorschau.website/resources/glossary/sustainability "In 1987, the United Nations Brundtland Commission defined sustainability as “meeting the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs.”
") with organic textiles. [Brands](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.
A business entity or an online marketplace selling directly and exclusively to an end consumer (DTC operator).
"), [manufacturers](https://gots.vorschau.website/resources/glossary/manufacturer "An entity in the manufacturing chain (sewing industry or so-called CMT (cut, make, trim) industry up to labelling and final packing) of GOTS Goods.
") & exporters, representatives from Govt of Bangladesh, certification bodies, professionals from fields of testing, chemical compliance, media, trade associations, NGOs, academics, consultants and so on. The theme of the conference was –‘Business Case for Sustainability with Organic Textiles’. Today, out of the more than 3,800 facilities GOTS certified worldwide, more than 400 are in Bangladesh. This is the 5thhighest number of GOTS certified facilities worldwide This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. **his welcome address,** Sumit Gupta, GOTS Representative in Bangladesh & India appreciated Bangladesh Textile Industry for their ambitious target to achieve the figure of 50 Bn USD in RMG exports and encouraged the industry to use sustainability and GOTS as a tool to help them achieve this goal. “I was delighted to see tremendous interest in GOTS and sustainability among the textile industry in Bangladesh. The fact that this seminar had a full house testifies to the efforts that the industry is making in moving towards a cleaner future. Delegates showed great enthusiasm during the Q&A sessions asking experts their doubts, giving suggestions and even sharing good practises they follow”, Rahul Bhajekar, GOTS Director [Standards](https://gots.vorschau.website/resources/glossary/standard "standard glossary text
") Development and Quality Assurance summed up. Four sessions of the conference addressed the various dimensions of GOTS as an instrument of sustainable supply chain management. Key results of the sessions: - commitments from brands on and off the dais to increase their share of GOTS certified organic textiles in their respective supply chains. - need to create more training and awareness among staff and [workers](https://gots.vorschau.website/resources/glossary/worker "Any individual engaged in work who is not a senior manager or owner.
") for better implementation of standards at the workplace. - though sometimes challenging, sustainable textile production, compliant with international standards like GOTS, is the way to go for long term business gains. **Please download high res pictures [here](https://www.dropbox.com/sh/n3i16f3zrl6i6rv/AADOM4XK7v1Zf4pYOM3zpUula?dl=0).** **Full Version** More than 170 delegates from five countries attended the flagship event by GOTS in Dhaka, Bangladesh on 23rd November, 2016- National Seminar on GOTS Certification - including International Brands & Retailers, manufacturers & exporters, representatives from Govt of Bangladesh, certification bodies, professionals from fields of testing, chemical compliance, media, trade associations, NGOs, academics, consultants and so on. The theme of the conference was –‘Business Case for Sustainability with Organic Textiles’. Today, out of the more than 3,800 facilities GOTS certified worldwide, more than 400 are in Bangladesh. This is the 5thhighest number of GOTS certified facilities worldwide **In his welcome address,** Sumit Gupta, GOTS Representative in Bangladesh & India appreciated Bangladesh Textile Industry for their perseverance and consistent efforts to achieve both quality and quantity in their products and exports. The industry has successful in maintaining consistent growth in their export numbers from last several years. Mr. Gupta mentioned the ambitious target of local textile industry to achieve the figure of 50 Bn USD in RMG exports and encouraged the industry to use sustainability and GOTS as a tool to help them achieve this goal. “I was delighted to see tremendous interest in GOTS and sustainability among the textile industry in Bangladesh. The fact that this seminar had a full house testifies to the efforts that the industry is making in moving towards a cleaner future. Delegates showed great enthusiasm during the Q&A sessions asking experts their doubts, giving suggestions and even sharing good practises they follow”, Rahul Bhajekar, GOTS Director Standards Development and Quality Assurance summed up. Four sessions of the conference addressed the various dimensions of GOTS as an instrument of sustainable supply chain management. **Session 1-** **Business Case for Sustainability with Organic Textiles-** was moderated by Sumit Gupta, Deputy Director Standards Development & Quality Assurance. Mr. Gupta made a presentation on ‘Introduction to GOTS- Technical Criteria and Benefits to Businesses’. He explained various technical requirements in GOTS standard and also explained benefits to businesses- including brands and manufacturers. He also emphasised that compliance and sustainability shouldn’t be considered an external cost but investments in social and environmental compliances would lead to economic gains in long run. Ms. Thelma Ruiz, Brands Fashion GmbH, Germany, reiterated their consistent support to GOTS and also announced that they plan to convert 100% of their workwear to GOTS certified by year 2020. Discussion after presentation yielded the results that a long term commitment from both buyers and sellers is necessary to make sustainable products commercially viable. **Session 2** was titled **“Quality Assurance through GOTS”** and was moderated by Rahul Bhajekar, GOTS Director Standards Development & Quality Assurance. Mr. Abdul Mottaleb, CERES Bangladesh made a presentation on ‘Social Issues- Common non-compliances in the region and examples of best practices’. He mentioned common [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').
") findings in fields of safety, occupational health and other issues related to payment and overtime. He indicated that situation is constantly improving but industry still needs to work on various aspects including accurate time recording system, yearly increments etc. Amran Hossain, CU Certifications Ltd, Bangladesh made a presentation on ‘Environment Issues- Common non-compliances in the region and examples of best practices’. He introduced local legal requirements and GOTS requirements for environment safety. He also spoke about commonly prevalent non-compliances in the region like water spillage on floor; untreated water being mixed with surface water, non-functional Effluent Treatment Plants (ETPs) etc. He also gave examples of some best practices like shaded & selected area for sludge drying, flowmeters at inlets & outlets, safety fence at heights etc. **Session 3- Leading the Way to Best Practices** – was moderated by Rahul Bhajekar again. Mr. Bhajekar made a presentation on ‘Labelling Organic Textiles- Legal Conditions and GOTS Requirements’. He gave details about the legal basis existing in the EU, USA and in India on the labelling of ‘[organic fibres](https://gots.vorschau.website/resources/glossary/organic-fibres "Lorem Ipsum dolor sit amet
") and textiles’. He also informed the new rule that [GOTS Logo](https://gots.vorschau.website/resources/glossary/gots-logo "The garment icon, embedded into the circle element and surrounded by the letters 'Global Organic Textile Standard GOTS', displayed only with the allowed colours.
") can now be used by [chemical suppliers](https://gots.vorschau.website/resources/glossary/chemical-supplier "A Chemical Formulator places chemical products on the market under own trade name. Generally the recipe, formulation and processing know-how belong to the Chemical Supplier. These chemical products can be manufactured by either the Chemical Supplier itself, or another Chemical Formulator or a toll-manufacturer.
") in their promotional documents, with payment of ‘Additives License Fee’. He also emphasised the importance of [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.
") for maintaining [traceability](https://gots.vorschau.website/resources/glossary/traceability "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.
Mixtures or solutions composed of two or more Substances.
"). An important technical aspect is to ensure consistency in quality of raw materials (yarns, [fabrics](https://gots.vorschau.website/resources/glossary/fabric "A flexible, flat structure made by interlacing yarns, fibers, or filaments.
")) made from organic fibres and buyers should accept the given quality. With a holistic sustainability standard like GOTS, organic textile industry has an opportunity to use it as a tool that includes all aspects of sustainability including social and environment compliances and is acceptable globally. Mr. Sumit Gupta proposed formal vote of thanks at the end of the event. He thanked all sponsors, partners, speakers, media and attendees for their respective contributions to the event. **ABOUT GOTS:** GOTS is the stringent voluntary global standard for the entire post-harvest processing (including spinning, knitting, weaving, dyeing and manufacturing) of apparel and home textiles made with organic fibres (such as organic cotton, organic wool etc.), and includes both environmental and social criteria. Key provisions include a ban on the use of [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)
") ([GMOs](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)
")), hazardous chemicals (such as SVHCs, azo dyes, formaldehyde etc) while requiring strong social compliance management systems and strict waste water treatment practices. GOTS was developed by leading international standard setters - Organic Trade Association (USA), Japan Organic Cotton Association (Japan), International Association Natural Textile Industry (Germany), and Soil Association (UK) - in order to define globally recognized requirements that ensure the organic status of textiles. The Global Organic Textile Standard (GOTS) is a not-for-profit (gemeinnützige) organisation based in Germany with Regional Representatives the major sales markets USA/Canada, Germany/Austria/Switzerland, Japan, United Kingdom and in the important processing countries China, India, Bangladesh and Turkey. The Standard – GOTS – is recognised and endorsed by IFOAM – Organics International. The Standard has been developed with close multi-stakeholder engagement in a transparent way that meets ISEAL recommended best practice. At the end of 2015, more than 3,800 facilities were certified to GOTS in 68 countries. Globally, more than 1 Million people are working in GOTS certified facilities. For more information on the Global Organic Textile Standard, please see www.global-standard.org. \### **GOTS Global Organic Textile Standard** [www.global-standard.org](https://gots.vorschau.website/)  [ Share this page ](#fs-toggle=share)