From Cotton to Product Passport: A Two-Day Traceability Agenda in İzmir and Istanbul

On 23 and 24 September 2026, USB Certification took part in two industry meetings that addressed the two ends of the textile value chain. In İzmir, Technical and Quality Department Manager Ali Ertuğrul, Agriculture Operations Leader Bilge Demirci and Technical Specialist Mert Acartürk attended “The Future of Organic Cotton and Textiles in Türkiye” workshop, organised in cooperation with the Ecological Agriculture Organization Association (ETO), Global Standards and the Organic Cotton Accelerator (OCA), and hosted by the Aegean Exporters’ Associations (EİB). The following day in Istanbul, Sales Team Leader Serenat Ercegil represented our company at the “Digital Product Passport and Twin Transformation in the Apparel Supply Chain Conference”, organised by the Istanbul Apparel Exporters’ Association (İHKİB).

The organic cotton value chain on the table in İzmir

Held at the EİB Conference Hall, the workshop carried the subtitle “Challenges, Opportunities and Solution Proposals”. It addressed the current state of organic cotton production and the future of the organic textile sector across the entire chain, from cultivation in the field to brand demand. At the opening, ETO and Global Standards assessed recent developments in the sector. The programme was structured around three questions, discussed at round tables on production, processing, and promotion and market: what are the most critical challenges facing the value chain today, which solutions can be put into practice in the short and medium term, and which institutions can take responsibility for implementing them. The outcomes are expected to be compiled into a report and shared with stakeholders.

During the workshop, our team discussed the current state of the sector, the challenges across the value chain and short- and medium-term solutions with certification bodies and textile manufacturers. In organic cotton, the “organic” claim on a product is carried through every stage of the chain by certification. As a result, a problem that arises in the field, in spinning or in garment manufacturing often becomes a matter for the certification process as well.

The digital product passport agenda for apparel discussed in Istanbul

The full-day conference, held at the Ömer Halisdemir Conference Hall in the Foreign Trade Complex, was organised as part of the Twin Transformation in the Apparel Supply Chain Project, which İHKİB carries out with the support of the Istanbul Development Agency (İSTKA) and in partnership with the Turkish Exporters Assembly (TİM). Topics on the programme included the latest developments in twin transformation legislation, the experiences of pilot companies and the Twin Transformation Report for the Apparel Sector. Representatives of the Ministry of Trade and TÜBİTAK BİLGEM also took part in the Digital Product Passport (DPP) Panel. Over the course of the project, digital and green transformation maturity assessments were carried out at 23 participating companies. The opening speeches also touched on the findings of these assessments. It was highlighted that the facilities assessed already have a certain level of infrastructure for twin transformation, while the sector is still at the very beginning of its preparations for the digital product passport. Real-time data collection from the production floor and supply chain traceability were identified among the priority areas for the coming period.

The digital product passport is expected to become mandatory for textiles as well under the European Union’s Ecodesign for Sustainable Products Regulation (ESPR). A significant share of the content and sustainability information to be included in the passport is already substantiated today through certificates and test reports. Preparing for the passport therefore concerns not only data infrastructure but also the verification process behind that data. We are closely following manufacturers’ preparations from the certification side, and developments in the sector as one of the stakeholders in this process.

The same need at both ends of the chain

In İzmir, the discussion centred on the organic cotton value chain; in Istanbul, on the digital identity a product will carry as it enters the EU market. The two agendas, though they start from different places, converge on the need for information provided along the chain to be verifiable. As part of the processes that generate this evidence, the topics addressed at both meetings are directly related to our field of work. As USB Certification, we will continue to engage directly with our stakeholders at the industry’s meeting points and to support cooperation and capacity-building efforts aimed at strengthening sustainable and traceable textile value chains.