The new certification with GOTS means Soil Association’s existing certified clients must seek certification services and transfer their certification services to another accredited certification body no later than 12 September 2023, to maintain certification as all scope certificates issued by Soil Association will be considered withdrawn after that date.

Transaction certificates previously issued by Soil Association are still considered valid.

In a statement to Just Style, a spokesperson for the Soil Association said: "As the UK's largest certification body we have decided to focus on the Global Organic Textiles Standards (GOTS) which offers end-to-end accreditation covering every aspect of production - not just the content of the textiles. This is what the industry increasingly demands to meet the sustainability expectations of today's consumers.

“Both GOTS and Textile Exchange deliver significant benefits for nature and the environment through the organic farming practices they deliver with GOTS ensuring added social and ecological benefits. Soil Association was a founding member of GOTS and we are hopeful it will be recognised as due diligence under the new supply chain regulations.”

Meanwhile, GOTS has revealed a 10% growth in certified facilities since 2021. Its annual report from 2022 showed 13,549 facilities are now GOTS certified from 12,338 a year earlier.

Additionally, GOTS-certified countries have expanded to 84 countries, representing a 5% increase year-on-year.