Parliament Question: GOTS Organic Certificate

This document summarizes Lok Sabha Unstarred Question No. 3737, to be answered on August 12, 2025, regarding the Global Organic Textile Standard (GOTS) and its impact on textile exports, specifically concerning organic cotton. The question addresses whether textile products processed with GOTS can be exported with a GOTS organic certificate. It also inquires about the certification of control associations since 2007 and their linkage with Intertek since 2021, as well as the availability of Intertek testing services for GOTS organic certification since 2021. Furthermore, the question raises concerns about the suspension of Intertek for seven months due to issues with its GOTS certification process, leading to the suspension of companies, including those in Gujarat, and subsequent losses for cotton farmers due to decreased organic premium prices. Finally, it questions whether foreign payments for companies have been stopped or withheld due to a ban on the supply of organic material. The Minister of State for Textiles clarifies that the National Programme for Organic Production (NPOP), implemented by the Department of Commerce and notified under the FTDR Act for export, certifies cotton only up to the production level. Post-production activities, such as ginning and processing, are carried out under private certifications, with GOTS being one such certification used for exporting organic textiles. The response does not explicitly confirm or deny the suspension of Intertek or the withholding of foreign payments, but it acknowledges that GOTS is a private certification under which organic textiles are exported.

Key Entities Referenced