Why certify with us?

Social- The GOTS Social Criteria is based upon the International Labour Organisation criteria and include the following stipulations for certified entities: 

• The GOTS Standards explicitly forbid human rights abuses and have codified protection for particularly vulnerable populations such as women, indigenous people, persons with disabilities, minority populations and migrant workers. Certified businesses are required to take action against any human rights issued identified in their supply chain.

• Child labour is forbidden.

• Employers within the supply chain must already be paying or show evidence that they are working towards paying employees a living wage. 

• Workers must be guaranteed the right to freedom of association, union membership and collective bargaining.

Environmental

• Hazardous synthetic pesticides, herbicides and insecticides are banned, creating a safer environment for farmers and keeping waterways clean. Conventional cotton is responsible for 16% of insecticide use worldwide- which is why it has been dubbed the “world’s dirtiest crop”. 

• Combats climate change, due to the prohibition of fossil-fuel based fertilisers. Organic cotton emits 46% less greenhouse gas than non-organic. 

• Organic cotton uses 91% less water than conventional cotton. 

• Farmers are given greater control over their crops through the prohibition of GM seeds, meaning they are not reliant on a handful of GM companies. Instead, they save their seeds year after year, and work with the environment in a long-term, sustainable way. 

• Only low impact chemicals are permitted throughout the supply chain, including use in final products, with toxicity and biodegradability criteria above the industry standard. 

• No Per- and Polyfluorinated Substances (PFASs or "forever chemicals") allowed in products. 

While BCI focuses on delivering continuous improvements in cotton farming, it is not a threshold for performance. Genetically modified organisms (GMOs) are also permitted.​ 

​The implementation of the BCI standard therefore leads to variable outcomes and reputational risks, particularly in regards to: 

• Synthetic fertilisers. These are still allowed under BCI. They are a key driver of carbon emissions, soil degradation, poor water quality and air pollution. 

• Synthetic pesticides​. A key driver of biodiversity loss and risks to worker health with 180m poisonings each year in South Asia alone. BCI’s continued allowance of the use of these chemicals on cotton farms still puts workers in life threatening situations. 

The number of fast fashion brands associated with BCI should demonstrate how the standard lacks full environmental and social integrity.

If you really want your fashion or textiles business to stand out from the crowd for its sustainability principles, GOTS is the standard you should be certifying to. 

While the Organic Content Standard is a welcome step forward in an industry without legal protection for the term "organic", it only considers the percentage of organic fibre in a product, and does not take processing and social criteria in the supply chain into account.

GOTS is the only standard that checks both the supply chain and the percentage of organic in the final product, covering a businesses Social, Ethical and Environmental criteria.

We're more than just an organic certification body. 

By certifying with Soil Association Certification your business will benefit from of a range of exclusive benefits, with additional marketing and trade support to help you add value to your products. These include: 

• A dedicated UK-based certification officer who manages your account and deals with your queries. 
• Support on all inspections, export/ import requirements and GOTS labelling. 

• Use of the Soil Association organic symbol (in addition to the GOTS symbol), carrying the highest consumer recognition for organic in the UK market. 
• Ongoing marketing support, including our ASA-approved “What you can say” booklet and participation in industry wide consumer PR and campaigning on organic textiles. 
• Free access to our annual industry-leading Trade Conference, for which a ticket price is usually around £1,000. 
• Free access to our industry leading Organic Market Report and other up-to-date industry data. 
• Support with new routes to market, including eligibility for Amazon’s Climate Pledge Friendly badge on your product listings. Climate Pledge Friendly has been shown to increase sales on Amazon by an average of 10%.
• Access to our exclusive processor client portal to help manage your license.