At first glance, news that IWA 32:2019 has been replaced by a Technical Specification—ISO/TS 5354-2:2024—might sound dry or overly technical. But for those of us invested in the integrity of organic cotton, this is a significant leap forward.

The Organic Cotton Accelerator, alongside GOTS and Textile Exchange, played a key role in initiating the International Workshop Agreement (IWA) process in 2018, bringing together global stakeholders to establish common guidelines for GMO screening in cotton and textiles. This foundational work helped fill a gap in the industry and set the stage for more standardised approaches. Fast-forward to today, and that work has now evolved into a formal Technical Standard. It’s a strong endorsement of the sector’s commitment to credible, harmonised GMO testing and of OCA’s leadership in helping shape it.

What’s changed?

The former IWA 32:2019 offered guidance to labs testing for GMOs in cotton and cotton-derived materials, focusing on DNA extraction methods and screening for common GM elements. However, as industry needs matured, so did the demand for a more formal, robust and globally recognised framework. That led to the development of: ISO/TS 5354-2:2024, which now defines target sequences to screen for the presence of genetically modified material in cotton and textiles. ISO 5354-1, expected in 2025, which will describe the standard methods for DNA extraction from cotton samples.

Together, these standards offer a more comprehensive and harmonised framework for GMO testing, raising the bar for credibility and consistency.

What does this mean for OCA and our partners?

In practice, nothing changes immediately for OCA’s Farm Programme or our Contributors. Our Farm Programme guidelines already reflect the principles of IWA 32:2019, and most testing laboratories are already aligned with the new technical requirements, especially through their participation in OCA’s proficiency testing schemes.

That said, we will now begin phasing out references to IWA 32:2019 in our documentation and adopting the new ISO references:

  • ISO/TS 5354-2:2024 (for screening sequences)
  • ISO 5354-1 (to be referenced once published)

We believe this transition is important. It shows that OCA’s impact goes beyond the field. It also lives on in the standards that shape global supply chains.

This is a win for science-based approaches, cross-sector collaboration, and most importantly, organic cotton integrity.