Photo © by Saumya Khandelwal
Fairtrade has thoroughly overhauled its previous Textile Standard. The new framework now focuses on the cutting, making-up and finishing stages, as well as on a new mechanism designed to raise wages.
The new Fairtrade Textile Standard came into force on 1 September 2026 and applies to the final stage of textile production, where a large share of industry employees work. Minimum social requirements continue to apply upstream; companies involved in wet processing, such as dye houses, are subject to additional environmental requirements. Fairtrade cotton certification is not affected by this shift.
In Switzerland, the new Standard gives companies a more targeted framework for addressing working conditions and wages across their textile supply chains. Fairtrade Max Havelaar supports companies in the areas of responsible sourcing, sustainability and human rights due diligence.
One of the Standard’s main goals is to drive gradual progress towards a living wage, a responsibility shared by factories and brands. Certified factories must pay a base wage of at least 55% of the regional reference living wage, or 10% above the legal minimum wage — whichever is higher. In addition, for Fairtrade orders, brands pay a “living wage differential” calculated per garment and distributed proportionally to workers.
“The responsibility does not lie with factories alone. Companies must also play their part. It is by working together at every level of the supply chain that we can help improve working conditions in the sector in a lasting way,” explains Tobias Meier, Global Product Manager for cotton and textiles at Fairtrade.
“For companies in Switzerland, the new Standard creates a clearer framework for assuming their share of responsibility in the textile supply chain. It combines concrete requirements for factories with a contribution from brands, thereby strengthening the shared-responsibility approach,” says Fabian Waldmeier, CEO of Fairtrade Max Havelaar.
The new Standard strengthens worker participation in factories, notably through the compliance committee, and expands health, safety and freedom of association requirements. Introduced in 2016, the Textile Standard was originally intended to cover the entire supply chain; as implementation fell short of expectations, its structure was revised following a public consultation conducted in 2025, in which factory workers themselves took part.
With this new Standard, Fairtrade is placing its bet on shared responsibility across the supply chain to secure better working conditions and gradual progress towards a living wage.
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