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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...