GOTS: What’s the difference between regenerative and organic?

With so many terms relating to the sustainable fashion industry, it can be difficult to understand which direction is best to head in and which certifications are the most valuable to align with your brand credentials.

There has been a lot of confusion between the terms regenerative and organic in particular. As the worldwide leading textile processing standard for organic fibres, the Global Organic Textile Standard (GOTS) has some handy definitions between the two terms and guidance on best practices.

Organic

Broadly speaking, you can view organic as being the guide which shows us the way forward, whereas regenerative is the goal with production and consumption - something which actively re-nourishes the source.

Organic is legally the most sustainable agricultural system, which is a key component to why GOTS is the gold standard for sustainable textiles – it covers organic fibres, clean processing, safe working conditions, and traceability. With items that are certified organic, you know what you are getting. When you purchase organic textiles, you are supporting organic food systems. Organic regulations require crop rotations to be used in agriculture practice, meaning fibres are grown alongside organic foods.

Organic Fibres

• Organic is a regulated, certified management system that is designed to ensure that agricultural production and processing protects the health of the environment and society. 

• Organic regulations focus on prohibiting the use of toxic and harmful chemicals, and promoting management systems that are harmonious with natural forces and based in agroecology (farming processes).

• Organic regulations focus on the process, providing an extensive list of do’s and don’ts that ultimately protect the environment and consumers from harm.

• Organic is a protected term, codified and regulated, whereas regenerative is not protected and is therefore vulnerable to greenwashing.

• Organic has a clearly defined set of required practices, as well as permitted non-toxic pesticides and climate friendly fertilisers that have been scientifically demonstrated to increase yields and resilience over time.

Regenerative

Regenerative agriculture strives to repair the damage caused by conventional agriculture. Regenerative fibres are grown in a way that aims to improve soil quality and carbon sequestration capacity, but does not necessarily exclude the use of toxic chemicals and GMOs (genetically modified organisms). Buying “regenerative” textiles is risky, because the terms and methods are not regulated – anyone can pretend to be regenerative. Regenerative is not a regulated term, so anyone can claim to be regenerative, making it vulnerable to greenwashing. 

Regenerative Fibres 

• Regenerative standards typically do not prohibit GMOs or toxic chemicals, focusing instead on parameters like soil carbon. 

• Some regenerative certification programs include requirements to monitor and demonstrate progress with soil tests, but not all.

• Regenerative focuses on the important outcome of removing CO2 from the atmosphere (carbon sequestration) and storing it in soils, but without limitations on method, GMOs and toxic chemicals may be used in contradiction to its aims.

• Regenerative has a loosely defined set of measurable outcomes that mostly relate to carbon capture, and may also allow dubious methods with short-term profit goals to cause long-term damage.

With organic fibres, we know how they were cultivated, with care for the earth and for the farmers. However not all organic standards are equally reliable, which is why GOTS requires organic fibres to come from one of the IFOAM Family of Standards. For more information on GOTS and how to become GOTS certified, you can visit the GOTS website here.