GOTS Project: Creating Job Opportunities in India

GOTS Project:

Creating Job Opportunities in India

Promoting Inclusion and Equality

Creating Opportunities for Disadvantaged Individuals
In partnership with the UK-based charity Leonard Cheshire, GOTS has played a vital role in a transformative project aimed at fostering social inclusion and economic opportunities in the Ready Made Garment (RMG) sector in Tiruppur, Tamil Nadu, India.

Promoting Inclusion and Equality

According to the World Bank, over one billion people, approximately 15 percent of the global population, experience some form of disability. Persons with disabilities are more likely to face challenges in education, healthcare, employment, and poverty rates, especially in developing countries. Recognising the importance of social inclusion, GOTS, and Leonard Cheshire collaborated with GIZ, IVN, and Indian NGO Love and Acceptance, to undertake a project that would provide training and opportunities to ultimately integrate persons with disabilities into the RMG sector.

Breaking Barriers in the Garment Industry

The project was launched in March 2022, with the aim of reducing barriers such as inaccessible workplaces, limited training, and a lack of awareness among employers. The objectives included sensitising employers, professionals, and organisations of persons with disabilities (OPDs), adapting training institutions' curricula to ensure accessibility, and fostering collaboration between stakeholders.

Transforming Lives Through Collaboration

To achieve its goals, the project facilitated training and support for persons with disabilities. It worked closely with training institutions to adapt their curricula to provide relevant skills for the RMG sector. Consultative workshops and sessions on accessibility, workplace adaptations, safeguarding, and occupational health were conducted to educate and empower stakeholders. The project also linked with GOTS certified entities, successfully involving them in the effort.

GOTS Involvement: Paving the Way for Inclusion

GOTS was actively engaged from the project's inception, reaching out to certified entities in the Tiruppur region. The response from these entities was overwhelmingly positive, with several of them participating in the project. Their commitment and collaboration played a vital role in driving the initiative's success.

Thanks to the collective efforts of all involved, the project witnessed tremendous success. This project wasn't just about generating jobs; it was about creating opportunities, promoting inclusivity, and upholding the principles of sustainability.
Ganesh Kasekar, GOTS Representative in South Asia, shares his perspective: ‘This undertaking exemplifies the power of collaboration and the positive impact working together can have on our industry. It's a testament to the GOTS community's commitment to making a difference in people's lives and championing equality’.

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GOTS Project: GOTS and European Space Agency Collaborate for Integrity in Organic Cotton

GOTS Project:

GOTS and European Space Agency Collaborate for Integrity in Organic Cotton

Revolutionising Organic Cotton: A Game-Changing Collaboration

In 2022, GOTS embarked on an innovative collaboration poised to redefine the organic cotton industry. This groundbreaking project is a joint effort between GOTS, the European Space Agency (ESA), and Marple GmbH, a German software development firm. Marple had previously conducted a feasibility project, Cotton Cultivation Remote Assessment (CoCuRA), in Uzbekistan which demonstrated the potential of remote satellite monitoring to accurately distinguish cotton fields and, notably, to determine whether these fields were managed organically. That project piqued GOTS's interest, aligning with their mission to advance cutting-edge technologies that enhance the integrity of the organic textile sector.

Project Goals

The primary objective of this collaborative project is to train artificial intelligence (AI) to use satellite data for the remote detection of cotton fields while classifying them according to their cultivation standard. This includes identifying whether cotton fields are organic, in-conversion, natural (low-input), hybrid (high-input), or GMO. By enabling remote monitoring of cotton cultivation, this initiative serves as a potent deterrent against potential fraudulent practices. Moreover, it equips GOTS with the means to identify risks to organic cotton cultivation, such as the proximity of genetically modified (GM) fields that could lead to contamination. The integration of farm data will further facilitate the generation of realistic projections for yield and, consequently, estimates of available organic cotton.

Data Collection

The project encompasses a broad spectrum of data, including GPS polygons (field area), cultivation standard (conventional, in-conversion, organic), crop type (cotton, wheat, maize, etc.), and irrigation method (e.g., rain-fed, flooding, sprinkler, drip). This comprehensive data will be instrumental in training the AI to remotely assess fields outside of the selection area and classify them based on their cultivation standard.

Promising Results

Marple's prior pilot study in Uzbekistan yielded remarkable results, with their AI achieving a 98% accuracy rate in distinguishing between organic and conventional cotton fields. Building on this success, the collaboration between GOTS and Marple, with the support of ESA, aims to enhance the AI's capabilities. This advancement has the potential to significantly bolster the integrity and traceability of organic cotton.

Impact Beyond Certification

The impact of this project extends beyond the identification of certified organic cotton fields. It is expected to accurately identify fields that, while not yet certified, exhibit the potential for a seamless transition to organic cultivation due to their adherence to traditional and ecologically friendly farming practices. Identifying these areas could lead to new economic opportunities for small-scale farmers and their communities, and help grow the industry, which is already unable to meet the growing consumer demand for organic cotton.

The collaboration between GOTS, ESA, and Marple represents a pivotal moment in the organic cotton industry. By harnessing the potential of remote satellite monitoring and artificial intelligence, this project is set to elevate the integrity and development of organic cotton cultivation. It embodies GOTS' commitment to continuous improvement and innovation in serving the sustainable textile sector. As Jeffrey Thimm from GOTS succinctly puts it, "Technologies like this will be a game changer regarding the integrity and promotion opportunities of organic cotton."

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Regenerative is Organic

by Jeffrey Thimm, GOTS Organic Production Specialist

As the importance of sustainability comes more into focus for the textile sector – whether for legal compliance or market demand by conscientious consumers – more concerted efforts are commendably being made by actors across the value chain to source fibres that are produced and processed in socially and ecologically responsible ways. Furthermore, the necessity of traceability to validate claims of sustainability has been well established. But with the plethora of voluntary sustainability standards emerging, it’s worth strengthening our conceptual frameworks and taking a closer look at what constitutes the lofty pursuit of “regenerative agriculture”.

REGENERATIVE AGRICULTURE IS NOT A NEW CONCEPT -
IT HAS BEEN A CENTRAL PILLAR OF SUSTAINABLE AGRICULTURE SYSTEMS ACROSS THE GLOBE AND HUMAN HISTORY, FOR WHICH STRATEGIES AND METHODS HAVE BEEN EVOLVING WITH THE DISTINCT AIM OF INCREASING SOIL FERTILITY AND FOOD SECURITY.

The specific practices differ depending on ecological and social context, but regenerative agriculture is united in its purpose – to reverse soil degradation, improve agroecological resilience, and sustainably provide food, fiber and fuel. Aside from repairing and revitalizing degraded landscapes, it is now additionally tasked with halting and reversing greenhouse gas emissions and increasing resilience to climate change.
Fortunately, the rising interest in regenerative agriculture has also been illuminating the central role of the farmer in our global economy, and how our sourcing practices impact the sustainability of the very foundations of society. It’s not just about textiles and fibers, it’s also about our posture towards ethical commerce and our willingness to pay a fair price – more than a living wage – to value the livelihoods and communities at the source of our supply chains.

WE CANNOT AFFORD TO PAY LESS THAN THEIR TRUE WORTH.
AND AFTER CENTURIES OF EXPLOITATION, IT IS NOW REQUIRED TO REINVEST IN REVITALIZING AGRICULTURE IF WE WANT TO BE SUSTAINABLE.

The established, internationally regulated voluntary sustainability standard that already embodies the principles and aims of regenerative agriculture is Organic/Bio/Öko. With origins dating back over a century in the western world (inspired and informed by traditions dating back millennia), the global movement now represented by the International Federation of Organic Agriculture Movements (IFOAM) has built upon shared values and learnings to develop an evolving codification of production, verification and marketing norms. The concept of regenerative is embedded in the philosophy and practice of organic, because organic farm management is designed to protect and nurture the land, animals, and the farmers we all depend upon. Furthermore, the transition phase from conventional to organic, in-conversion, is itself a period of intentional revitalization.
So, are regenerative and organic synonymous terms? Some say yes, but technically, no.
Organic is a legally protected term, with codified and regulated management practices that are designed to uphold ecological and social welfare. Organic agriculture also has a clearly defined set of required practices, as well as permitted non-toxic pesticides and climate-friendly fertilizers that have been scientifically demonstrated to increase yields and resilience over time; regenerative practices like crop rotations, mulching and minimizing soil disturbance are staples in organic farming.

Conversely, regenerative is not a protected term and is therefore vulnerable to greenwashing (read the fine print). Regenerative standards typically have a defined set of measurable outcomes relating to carbon sequestration in soils, and the good ones even require demonstrated progress towards set targets (something that organic regulations do not yet include), but some allow dubious methods with short-term gains but inadvertent long-term losses.

AS LEADERS IN THE TEXTILE SECTOR, A CRUCIAL QUESTION TO ASK YOURSELF IS HOW TO DIFFERENTIATE BETWEEN AUTHENTIC REGENERATIVE AGRICULTURE, AND MERE IMITATION.

I OFFER YOU THIS:
Do the ends justify the means?
If the goal is to regenerate, how can we condone practices that are not themselves socially and ecologically regenerative? Can we in good conscience continue using synthetic herbicides, pesticides, fertilizers and GMOs and call it regenerative when the science has shown that, although they may appear to increase carbon capture in the short-term, they simultaneously erode long-term production capacity and undermine the ability of an ecosystem to abate and adapt to climate change?
Do the means justify the ends?
Can we in good conscience dogmatically adhere to a prescribed set of conventionalized practices and models, even when the consequences are demonstrably toxic to people and planet? Can we continue sourcing and manufacturing using practices that optimize short-term profit but are known to undermine the sustainability of the entire enterprise?
Coherence of principles, actions and targets is paramount.

THE GOAL IS THE WAY - THE WAY IS THE GOAL.

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Case Study: Original Favorites

GOTS Case Study:

Original Favorites

Company Snapshot

Location: Denver
Years in operation: 8
Year you received GOTS certification: 2023
Number of employees: 6
Types of products: Wholesale T-shirts and Fleece Knitwear
Where can consumers find your products: https://originalfavorites.com/

Original Favorites specialises in crafting luxury wholesale blank garments tailored for various businesses seeking premium blanks for customising and decorating. The company's product line encompasses an array of high-quality blanks, including sweats, t-shirts, and knit beanies. These garments are exclusively made from the finest materials such as Supima® cotton, Cashmere Merino Wool, and organic cotton fibres.

Sustainability Initiatives

Established in 2016, Original Favorites embarked on a mission to create luxury wholesale blank garments that combine an unwavering commitment to quality with a profound dedication to environmentally sustainable and ethically sound manufacturing. The journey commenced with a meticulous evaluation of raw materials, prioritising the utilisation of the world's finest natural fibres. An essential aspect of the company’s commitment to environmental stewardship includes considering both the land and the people involved in the cultivation process. This emphasis on ethical practices and sustainability spans the entire production process, ultimately guiding every decision.

Why GOTS Certification?

GOTS certification impeccably aligns with the company's core values and its enduring commitment to responsible and sustainable practices. Certification also assures the company and its clients that the strict and rigorous requirements of the Standard have been successfully undertaken. GOTS certification and label on final products acts as a significant value addition, attracting clients due to the authenticity, transparency, and credibility it offers.

Looking Ahead

Original Favorites aims to concentrate on educating and encouraging clients to demand proof from their suppliers, emphasising the importance of responsible and sustainable practices within the industry. Its recent GOTS certification serves as a testament to the company's unwavering commitment to quality, sustainability, and transparency, firmly establishing a high standard within the luxury wholesale blank garment sector.

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