TOKYO — October 30, 2023 — Yagi & Co., Ltd. (https://www.yaginet.co.jp/en/index.html) announces that we have made and started operating a proprietary system for consistent traceability management, from field to yarn, via a proprietary management system that links the international certifications for the organic cotton produced in India that we handle.
Complexity of organic cotton certification
There are several international certifications and standards for organic cotton. These begins with Ginning, the process of separating the seed and cotton from the harvested cotton ball and cotton to ensure traceability for yarn, fabrics, and the final product. However, for processes prior to that stage, the certification standard for organic agricultural products is applied to cotton balls and the field.
Existence of these two different certifications makes it difficult to achieve consistent traceability management for organic cotton (products). In the past, there were cases in which large-scale fraud came to light related to organic cotton in India, the world’s largest producer country of organic cotton.
Traceability aimed for by Cotton iD
We made and started operating a proprietary management system that links the two international certifications for the organic cotton produced in India that we handle. This system enables consistent traceability management from the cotton field to thread. Through this system, we can achieve incredibly transparent traceability for 85% or more of the organic cotton that we handle, from cotton field to thread. We started distribution of products with our brand “Unito Organic” which covers yarn, textile & garment. We can provide certifications of this management to customers purchasing applicable organic cotton from our Company.
Organic Cotton and Us
We are GOTS (Global Organic Textile Standard) member since 2006 and one of Japan’s top companies in terms of the volume of internationally certified organic cotton handled. Also, we participate in activities to support the conversion to organic farming for cotton farmers in India, continue to provide school support for the children of farmers, and have worked to establish sustainable frameworks of organic cotton.
We have a group company “Tsubame Towel” (https://tsubame-towel.com/) which produces the largest volume of organic cotton towel in Japan. We also have Yamaya Orimono Co., Ltd. (https://yamayaorimono.co.jp/) – specialist in yarn processing which is also GOTS-certified. Organic cotton is an extremely important part of our Group.
“We are so much aware of the need for traceability management that goes further in terms of traceability transparency, which is particularly important in the textile industry. By having support of the spinning mill, we want to make our management system firm, and provide safer and more reliable organic cotton to countries all over the world in order to proceed with our sustainable business.” – Yamaya Orimono Co., Ltd.
Posted: October 30, 2023
Source: Yagi & Co., Ltd.
