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Fairtrade has substantially overhauled its previous Textile Standard. The focus is now 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, while companies using wet processes, such as dye houses, are subject to additional environmental requirements. Fairtrade cotton certification is not affected by this change.
In Switzerland, the new Standard gives companies a more targeted framework for addressing working conditions and wages in their textile supply chains. Fairtrade Max Havelaar supports companies in responsible sourcing, sustainability and human rights due diligence.
One of the Standard’s main objectives is to support a gradual move 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 statutory minimum wage, whichever is higher. In addition, for Fairtrade orders, brands pay a “living wage differential,” calculated per garment and distributed proportionally to workers.
“Responsibility does not rest with factories alone. Companies must also do their part. It is by working together at every level of the supply chain that we can help improve working conditions in the sector on a lasting basis,” explains Tobias Meier, Global Product Manager for Cotton and Textiles at Fairtrade.
“For companies in Switzerland, the new Standard creates a clearer framework for taking their share of responsibility in the textile supply chain. It combines concrete requirements for factories with a contribution from brands, and thus strengthens 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 and safety as well as 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 carried out in 2025, in which factory workers themselves took part.
With this new Standard, Fairtrade is therefore betting on shared responsibility throughout the supply chain to improve working conditions and gradually move towards a living wage.
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