As widely reported in the U.S. media, the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) released a policy memorandum in May 2011 on ‘Labelling of textiles that contain organic ingredients’. The memo clarifies that labelling of textile products as ‘organic’ requires both the use of textile fibres produced and certified under the National Organic Program (NOP) as well as full third-party certification of the final product. Because the NOP criteria are difficult to apply to processing of textiles, the USDA explicitly recognises the GOTS certification labelling grade ‘organic’ as meeting this new requirement. In regard to ‘made with organic’, NOP Deputy Administrator Miles McEvoy later clarified that ‘made with organic’ is also a codified labelling category under NOP (as it is under GOTS). Accordingly, it may only be used for textile products that are made with at least 70% NOP-certified organic fibres and fully certified NOP or GOTS.
This formal government recognition of GOTS confirms that our approach in defining and safeguarding ‘organic textiles’ is well suited to provide responsible and reliable clarity for the textile industry, trade and consumers. By refraining from inventing its own national rules for organic textiles but relying instead on GOTS as the worldwide established organic textile standard, the U.S. government is avoiding creating new trade barriers to this globalized sector while at the same time ensuring that – once the memorandum is fully enforced – organic textile claims are backed by a reliable and transparent international certification programme based on comprehensive rules for socially and environmentally responsible textile production. Other governments could ensure worldwide equality in defining and safeguarding organic textiles by taking the U.S. approach as a blueprint for any regulatory activities in the sector.