According to the 2021 Annual Report released by GOTS, there was a significant increase in the number of certified facilities in 2021 despite continued COVID constraints.

According to the report, the number of GOTS certified facilities increased by 19 per cent in 2021 with Certification Bodies (CBs) reporting 12,338 facilities in 79 countries. The additional CBs are helping meet an ever-increasing demand for certification. The rise in certifications also allowed GOTS to expand internally, adding Representatives as well as colleagues with expertise in Standard Development and Implementation, Quality Assurance, Communication, and IT. Visits to the GOTS website jumped 43 per cent from 2020 and GOTS’s following on social media expanded significantly, gaining 57 per cent across platforms.

The report further chronicles the implementation of the most recent update to the standard document, GOTS version 6.0, and the release of ‘Conditions for the Use of GOTS Signs (CUGS)’, which outlines the rules for using the GOTS logo and labeling and updates to GOTS Scope and Transaction Certification policies which are a crucial part of the certification process.