Travis Wells, JD, MBA, has been appointed as GOTS Protection Officer North America. In this newly created position, he will be identifying and advising companies that are making unsubstantiated claims regarding GOTS signage.
An increasing number of companies are eager to use GOTS-certified materials and want to make claims regarding GOTS content on their finished products. However, the correct use of the trademarked logo is strictly regulated in CUGS 3.1. – The conditions for the use of GOTS signs.
A GOTS claim on finished products guarantees the consumer that every single step in the textile processing supply chain was certified. As soon as one stage in the supply chain is not certified, a company may not label or mention GOTS on their final product.
As a Sustainable Supply Chain Director, Travis has more than 20 years of experience advising fashion and apparel-related businesses on sustainable sourcing, product development, and manufacturing in domestic and global markets.
He earned his Bachelor of Arts (B.A.) in International Studies from Vassar College, his Juris Doctorate (J.D.) in Corporate Law from George Washington University Law School, and his Master of Business Administration (MBA) in Global Sustainability and Finance from the Gabelli School of Business at Fordham University.
According to Lori Wyman, the GOTS Representative in North America, “I’m looking forward to having a Protection Officer here in North America to help level the playing field for the many companies who have done their due diligence in achieving GOTS certification to back up their organic label claims”.
GOTS is the stringent voluntary global standard for the entire post-harvest processing (including spinning, knitting, weaving, dyeing, and manufacturing) of apparel and home textiles made with certified organic fiber (such as organic cotton and organic wool), and includes both environmental and social criteria.
Key provisions include a ban on the use of genetically modified organisms (GMOs), highly hazardous chemicals (such as azo dyes and formaldehyde), and child labor while requiring strong social compliance management systems and strict wastewater treatment practices.
GOTS was developed by leading international standard setters – Organic Trade Association (U.S.), Japan Organic Cotton Association, International Association Natural Textile Industry (Germany), and Soil Association (UK) to define globally-recognized requirements that ensure the organic status of textiles, from field to finished product. GOTS is a non-profit organization that is self-financed.
