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An investigation carried out by Global Organic
Textile Standard in India in 2020 revealed that
20,000 tons of cotton did not meet organic
standards. Faced with constantly growing demand
and supply that is not readily available and
requires paperwork, the temptation for fraud is
great. This could also concern recycled materials
that, despite being certified, are not always
completely exempt from risks of counterfeiting.
For several years, the processes required to prove
the origin of a material or a specific quality have
been increasing, not in terms of the identifying
documents but observing the actual constitution of
the materials.
There are three processes. Synthetic DNA
markers, which add molecular identification. Rare
luminescent inks or soils, recognisable with UV
or infra-red light. And watermark prints that are
invisible to the naked eye, applied on the fabric
rollers.
Consumer demand for transparency combined
with brands’ environmental objectives and growing
legislative pressure would infer that to meet these
expectations more precisely, these solutions need
to be embedded more broadly in our value chains.
As soon as the costs come down...