Fairtrade overhauls textile factory standard

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BONN – Fairtrade has overhauled its textile factory standard to strengthen brand accountability, embed new due diligence requirements and close the living wage gap – while narrowing its scope to tier 1 facilities 

Fairtrade cotton farmer in India
Fairtrade said the overall aim was to make the standard more practical.

Changes to Fairtrade International's textile factory standard come into force on 1st September 2026 and mark a significant departure from the previous version.

The most consequential change is the narrowing of scope. The previous standard applied across the textile supply chain; the revised version applies exclusively to Fairtrade-certified Tier-1 factories only – the final sewing and assembly stage.

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