Organic textiles, including natural fibers, such as cotton, wool, flax and more, are eligible for organic certification through various parties.
Who can regulate and certify organic textiles?
Raw organic cotton fibers and other raw organic textile fibers are eligible for organic certification by the USDA National Organic Program (NOP). The USDA certifies products to carry the USDA Organic Seal, so long as the product applies to an agricultural product, through NOP regulation, 7 CFR Part 205.
Although the USDA does certify organic textiles, they have very few organic textile processing and manufacturing standards in place. Unlike food, textiles aren't rigorously regulated. It's a bit like the organic body care issue. NOP standards relate to organic fibers, not the off-farm treatment of raw organic fibers or the end products made with organic fibers.
Because many organic advocates and consumers feel that organic certification and regulation should be more complete and rigorous than the USDA regulations, there are some third parties who also regulate organic fiber standards. For example, The Global Organic Textile Standard (GOTS) has been long recognized as a leader in the organic fiber industry. GOTS offers worldwide processing standard for textiles made from organic fibers. if you work with, or sell, organic fibers in the USA, GOTS is pretty much the gold standard in certification and regulation. To learn more about GOTS, speak with your local accredited certifying agent.
Finally, businesses in the United States who certify their textiles as organic must also follow the Federal Trade Commission’s (FTC) Textile and Wool Acts.
