The State of Sustainable Markets 2022

First published in 2015, this report is now updated annually on the state of sustainable markets. The International Trade Centre has teamed up once again with the Research Institute of Organic Agriculture and the International Institute for Sustainable Development to provide data about 14 major sustainability standards for bananas, cocoa, coffee, cotton, forestry products, oil palm, soybeans, sugarcane and tea.

The report presents market and statistical data on these sectors as well as at-a-glance tables on products and the following standards: 4C Services (4C), Better Cotton, Bonsucro, Cotton made in Africa (CmiA), Fairtrade International (Fairtrade), Forest Stewardship Council (FSC), GLOBALG.A.P., IFOAM – Organics International (organic), the Programme for the Endorsement of Forest Certification (PEFC), ProTerra Foundation (ProTerra), Rainforest Alliance (Rainforest), the Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil (RSPO), the Round Table on Responsible Soy (RTRS) and UTZ.

Data from the latest survey (2020 data) demonstrate how certified agriculture and forestry continue to grow, in line with an expanding global population and increasing demand for sustainable products. The rising share of total area and production volume covered by voluntary sustainability standards (VSS) suggests there is significant potential for further growth.

Download the report

 

 

GOTS registers highest growth rate ever in 2019

7765 certified facilities worldwide, an increase of 35% with more than 3 million workers covered under GOTS in 2019.
                                      

In 2019, the number of GOTS certified facilities globally grew by 35%, from 5,760 to 7,765 located in 70 countries. The number demonstrates that GOTS successfully serves as sustainable solution. The required certified organic fibres protect the climate by absorbing CO2 and every processing step - from field to fashion - has to meet stringent social and environmental criteria before a finished product is allowed to carry the GOTS label.

This huge leap forward was seen in both, production and consuming regions. Countries with largest growth in GOTS-certification in percentage in 2019 are: Netherlands (73%), Bangladesh (73%), Spain (71%), and Turkey (65%). In terms of total numbers of certified facilities, the highest increase is reported from Bangladesh (+505), followed by India (+438) and Europe (+396).

The top ten countries in terms of total numbers of GOTS-certified facilities in 2019 are: India (2411), Bangladesh (1194), Turkey (858), Germany (565), China (448), Italy (444), Portugal (301), Pakistan (276), USA (147), and the UK (75).

“The enormous growth shows that GOTS successfully serves as sustainable solution from certified organic fibre to finished product. With more and more GOTS certified operations and products we altogether substantially contribute to sustainable development.” Claudia Kersten, GOTS Managing Director.

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 certified organic fibre (such as organic cotton and organic wool), and includes both environmental and social criteria. Key provisions include a ban on the use of genetically modified organisms (GMOs), highly hazardous chemicals (such as azo dyes and formaldehyde), and child labour, while requiring strong social compliance management systems and strict waste water treatment practices.

GOTS was developed by leading international standard setters - Organic Trade Association (U.S.), Japan Organic Cotton Association, International Association Natural Textile Industry (Germany), and Soil Association (UK) to define globally-recognised requirements that ensure the organic status of textiles, from field to finished product. GOTS is a non-profit organisation which is self-financed. 

The new GOTS version 6.0 was released on March 19, 2020. The approach of the revision process, undertaken every three years, is to set stricter ecological and social criteria while maintaining relevance of the Global Organic Textile Standard.

Key requirements such as certified organic fibre content, the general ban on toxic and harmful chemicals, conventional cotton and virgin polyester as well as the social compliance management have been maintained, while other criteria became stricter.

When it comes to GOTS Environmental Criteria, Product Stewardship and Environmental Health and Safety (EHS) requirements have been introduced for approved chemical formulators.

Regarding GOTS Social Criteria GOTS included more dynamic elements: Certified Entities will now have to calculate the gap of actually paid wages to 'Living Wages' (according to recognized calculations methods). Furthermore, they will be encouraged to work towards closing this gap. Specific references to OECD Due Diligence Guidance and Good Practice Guidance for Social Criteria and Risk Assessment as well as Ethical Business Practises have been explicitly included.

For more information please see: www.global-standard.org.

Farmers in India Laud State Restrictions of Glyphosate

From www.cornucopia.org

 

"The Indian state of Andhra Pradesh has restricted the use of glyphosate and other herbicides to safeguard soil microbial activity, water, and human health. The new rules will also curtail the illegal production of genetically engineered herbicide tolerant (HT) cotton, which has not been approved for commercial use."

Read the article of the Cornucopia Institute

Burkina Faso Abandons GMO Cotton in Blow to Biotech's Africa Plans - Sustainable Pulse

In a move that could help decide the future of GM crops in Africa, Burkina Faso has abandoned GM Bt cotton.

Read further: Burkina Faso Abandons GMO Cotton in Blow to Biotech's Africa Plans - Sustainable Pulse

The cotton trade

From the field to the retail shelf, via spinning, weaving and finishing mills, this brochure immerses you in the world of cotton by focusing on three key stages in the process: production, consumption and trade. Analysis of each of these will help you understand the economic, environmental and social issues surrounding this raw material, the countless threads of which link Belgium with the rest of the world.

Publication of the Trade for Development Centre : The Cotton Trade
Read it on ISSUU