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OTC
OEKO-TEX Organic Cotton
Global · Tier 2 Trusted
Rainforest Alliance logo
Rainforest Alliance
Global · Tier 3 Specialty
Non-GMO Project Verified logo
Non-GMO Project Verified
United States · Tier 3 Specialty
What it meansLaunched April 2023 by the OEKO-TEX Association. A separate certificate from Standard 100 that combines the Standard 100 chemical-residue test with verified organic-cotton supply chain — addressing the long-standing confusion that Standard 100 alone is NOT an organic mark.Sustainable-agriculture certification (post-2020 merged standard with UTZ). Covers environmental, social, and economic criteria. NOT an organic mark.North America's leading 'no genetically modified organisms' certification. Tests for the presence of GMOs in finished products. NOT organic.
ScopeTextilesFoodFood
Established202319872010
InspectionAnnual on-site by OEKO-TEX-accredited institute (Hohenstein et al.)Annual third-party audit (RA-accredited)Annual third-party audit + lab testing
Residue testingRequired (Standard 100 panel + GMO/pesticide screening)Risk-basedGMO testing only (not pesticide)
Guarantees
  • Two grades: 'Organic Cotton' (100% certified-organic cotton) and 'Organic Cotton Blended' (≥70% certified-organic cotton).
  • Full Standard 100 chemical residue test on the finished product.
  • Additional GMO test + pesticide residue test specific to organic farming.
  • Verified chain of custody from farm to finished product.
  • Annual re-certification with independent OEKO-TEX institute audits.
  • Reduced (not eliminated) synthetic pesticide use, with bans on the most hazardous classes.
  • Forest conservation requirements (no deforestation after the cut-off date).
  • Worker welfare and community development requirements.
  • Annual third-party audit.
  • Verified absence of GMO ingredients (with action thresholds, not zero tolerance).
  • Annual third-party verification.
  • Tracing and segregation across the supply chain.
Does NOT
  • Doesn't certify the social/labour conditions across the supply chain in the way GOTS does (use OEKO-TEX STeP for that, or pair with GOTS).
  • Cotton-only — doesn't apply to other organic fibres (wool, hemp, linen).
  • Allows synthetic pesticides — does NOT meet any organic standard. Often confused with organic but it's a different programme.
  • Doesn't mean organic — Non-GMO products can use synthetic pesticides and fertilizers freely.

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Compare certifications · Organic.is