GOTS - Alliance Initiative
Organic cotton

The Organic Cotton Alliance Initiative is an initiative that promotes the sustainable production and trade of organic cotton in India. The initiative was launched in 2022 by the "Alliance for Sustainable Textiles", which was founded by the then Federal Minister for Economic Cooperation and Development Dr. Gerd Müller, for whom previously ecological sustainability and social criteria were given a high priority, was founded in 2014.

The aim of the initiative is to promote the production of organic cotton and strengthen the market for sustainably produced cotton products through many different pilot projects. The alliance initiative works with manufacturers, dealers, suppliers and other stakeholders in the textile industry are working together to promote the conversion to organic cotton. Through the responsibility and environmental awareness of each member, as well as through joint projects in India, these goals are being tackled consistently and successfully.

The Organic Cotton Alliance Initiative (Bibb) is a association of organisations and companieswhich advocates for the promotion of cotton production and the use of organic cotton. In addition to the federal government, Bibb currently has around 130 members.

The members shall be different groups of actors which are subdivided as follows:

• Federal Government
• Non-governmental organisations
• Standard organisations
• Trade unions
• Advisory members
• Companies
• Initiatives and associations

To date there are many well-known brandswho have joined the alliance initiative. They include:

Non-governmental organisations

• German Central Institute for Social Issues (DZI)
• NABU - Nature and Biodiversity Conservation Union Germany e. V.
• WWF Germany

Standard organisations

• Fairtrade Germany e. V.
• bluesign technologies
• GoodWeave International

Trade unions

• German Trade Union Confederation (DGB)
• IG Metall

Advisory members

• Federal Environment Agency (UBA)
• Hof University
• MUEVO GmbH

Companies

• Adidas AG
• C&A
• HAKRO GmbH

Initiatives and associations

• Bremen Cotton Exchange
• Community for Textile Future (GftZ)
• Network of German Fashion and Textile Designers (VDMD)

The complete list can be found directly in the overview on textilbuendnis.com.

Tip: If you would like to become a member of the Alliance for Sustainable Textiles and the Promotion of Organic Cotton, you can register here. inform and apply for membership.

Fair, environmentally friendly and sustainable: The Organic Cotton Alliance Initiative has started a project in India in which 12,500 male and female cotton producers to convert to organic cotton cultivation. India offers great potential, as the country is already one of the most important producers of organic cotton for the textile industry. In addition, India offers large areas of land suitable for conversion to organic cotton production.

The latter is worthwhile both for the farmers who work with decent working conditions, higher earnings, fair wages and more sales security and for the fashion and textile industries, as well as for the environment.

The Textile Alliance provides producers with the GMO-free seeds for cultivation available and supports them in converting to organic farming. The companies participating in the alliance initiative commit to purchasing a fixed quantity of organic cotton/cotton for three years, and to the Paying farmers a premium above market value.

This period is so important because the conversion from conventional farming methods with synthetic fertilisers and pesticides to organic farming usually takes three years. During this period, without support, there may be lower yields and financial bottlenecks, in short, poor production conditions. The scheme is therefore a important and livelihood-securing measurewhich contributes to significant, long-term improvements.

To the participating companies and organisations of the Textile Alliance include Brands Fashion, C&A, Esprit, Formesse, GOTS, HAKRO, H&M Group, s.Oliver Group, Tchibo and Fairtrade. They all have the common goal of increasing the amount of organic cotton available on the world market, while at the same time protecting the environment and liveable working and living conditions for the farmers.

The project is scheduled to run until 2025. The sustainable proportion of cotton is to increase to a whopping 70 per cent by then, and the share of organic cotton for textile production to 20 per cent.

Our customers are just as important to us as the Environment, resource awareness, social action and recycling. Our vision is to act ethically and sustainably in all areas of our company. Therefore, from Mister Bags We have set ourselves the goal of steadily increasing the share of our fair trade and GOTS-certified promotional bags and promotional pouches year after year - and so far we have succeeded every year. In doing so, we pay meticulous attention to our entire production chain in order to live up to the GOTS seal awarded to us.

Did you know? In addition to the GOTS seal, all our cotton bags, jute bags, backpacks, vegetable bags & Co. are also certified according to the OEKOTEX 100 standard and many of them also have the LFGB seal. You can get an insight into all our certificates here.

We do not want to subject our customers to cheap disposable promotional products without quality and without consideration. On the one hand, because these promotional products are not very environmentally friendly and, on the other hand, because we want our customers' corporate advertising to make a good impression. puts one's own corporate image in a good light. Likeable and durable textile bags with character for equally charismatic companies.

At Mister Bags we distribute bags and pouches made from sustainable organic cotton, which permanent quality controls are subject to. This is the only way we can ensure and guarantee that smallholders, workers and our customers benefit from ethical and sustainable practices.

Well over 20% of all our products sold so far have been produced from Fairtrade or organic cotton. We work hard every day to make sure that many more will be in the future. Our organic cotton bags include diverse models für unterschiedliche Einsatz- sowie Werbezwecke.

Click here for our sustainable

Organic cotton range.

We are Mister Bags - your partner for high quality & sustainable bags

With our extensive range of printable cotton and jute bags, we offer our business customers the opportunity to promote themselves sustainably with environmentally friendly promotional items - and with a clear conscience! Because our goal is to create a balance between economic success, environmental protection and social responsibility. Our conviction: sustainable action as a basic prerequisite for the economic success of a company.