The Global Organic Textile Standard (GOTS), the Germany based not for profit organisation, has announced that it will organise a national seminar for the organic textile industry in Bangladesh next month. The conference, under the theme ‘Business Case for Sustainability with Organic Textiles’, will be the first GOTS seminar in Bangladesh. The global textile industry today is sustainability conscious and leading brands, NGOs, governments and consumers are looking for innovative ideas and solutions. As a voluntary global standard for the entire post-harvest processing of home textiles and apparel made with organic fibre, GOTS includes both environmental and social criteria. On the other hand, Bangladesh has the largest market share (around 6.4 per cent) of global apparel exports among South Asian countries. In fact, the apparel industry is extremely prominent in the country’s economy, accounting for 83 per cent of total exports. “In last few years, the brands’ and manufacturers’ focus on compliances has significantly increased. Our seminar will show feasible solutions for the journey of Bangladesh textile industry towards sustainable textile processing and manufacturing”, says Sumit Gupta, GOTS representative in Bangladesh and India. In addition to the theme, speakers from leading brands and various experts will also talk about best practices in manufacturing, social and environment issues. Rahul Bhajekar, GOTS director Standards Development & Quality Assurance will be make a presentation and moderate a session. There will also be a panel discussion on challenges and opportunities in a sustainable textile supply chain. Last year, GOTS organised its first International GOTS Conference in India with the theme ‘Strong Partnerships for Success’. It was a huge success and was attended by 250 people from 12 countries.
