Since 1992, IMO has been acting as a reliable, international inspection and certification organization for textiles. Our certificates stand for the greatest ecological quality. 

The International Association Natural Textile Industry (IVN) has entrusted IMO and the testing lab eco-Umweltinstitut exclusively with quality assurance. Furthermore, IMO is entitled to perform ecological quality assurance on basis of the standards of the Organic Trade Association (OTA), Demeter International, on behalf of the Soil Association and others.

Recently IMO was significantly involved in developing the Global Organic Textile Standard (GOTS) and has been officially approved as the first certification body at all to offer certification according to this world-wide accepted standard for ecological textiles.

Our many years of experience in ecological and social quality assurance in textile production are also available for your company's special criteria.

>> How to become certified

IMO offers inspections and certification for the following activities within the textile chain:

• the production of natural fibers such as cotton, flax, wool, silk, etc. in accordance with organic standards like the European Regulation (EC) N°  834/2007 and (EC) N° 889/2008, NOP or private organic standards like Naturland, Demeter, IFOAM, etc.
• all primary processing stages within the whole textile chain such as spinning, knitting/weaving, dying, finishing and manufacturing of ready-to-wear garments in accordance with the processing guidelines of the International Association Natural Textile Industry (IVN), global organic standards and other defined criteria of textile associations and specific companies.
• producers, mail-order companies, and retailers, who label textiles themselves and bring them to market, such as IVN's brand 'Naturtextil'.

Available organic textile label schemes:

• Global Organic Textile Standard (GOTS):
  IMO offers inspection and certification according to this new and uniqe tool that shall enable textile manufacturers exporting their organic fabrics and garments with one certificate accepted in all major world markets. The Global Organic Textile Standard is a co-operation work between reputed standard organisations: So far the International Association Natural Textile Industry (IVN), Soil Association, Organic Trade Association (OTA) and Japan Organic Cotton Association (Joca) have already decided to adopt the GOTS from 1st October 2006 onwards. IMO is the first certification body officially approved as certifier for this standard by the International Working Group on Organic Textile Standard.
• OE 100 Standard and OE Blended Standard of Organic Exchange, USA: The OE 100 Standard is applicable to companies that seek third-party control of the 100% organic cotton fibre-content in their products, and the OE Blended Standard ensures that organically grown cotton is being used to the claimed percentage.
• Textile guidelines of the International Association Natural Textile Industry (IVN):
  IMO is exclusively entitled as inspection and certification body. Certified textiles may be labelled as 'IVN certified' or 'IVN certified best'.
• Textile standard of the Soil Assoication (SA), England:
  IMO is entitled to perform inspections as basis for a Soil association certification on basis of a 'product acceptance agreement'.
• For the Organic Cotton Project of the world-wide largest retail chain Wal-Mart and for companies participating Sam's Club IMO is approved to perform inspection and certification of organic cotton cultivation in Türkiye, China, India, Pakistan and Africa. In the processing field IMO is approved to perform inspection and certification of all operations involved in this organic program world-wide.
• Textile programme of Demeter International:
  Demeter Germany and Switzerland have entitled IMO as inspection body as basis for a Demeter certification and labelling.

IMO also offers independent monitoring and expertise on

• a specific company's quality guidelines
• social standards and criteria for fair trade, e.g. based on core requirements of the ILO (International Labor Organization); possible of course in combination with the inspection and certification systems mentioned above
• documentation of origin for goods from inspected companies
• quality and residue parameters of textile products in collaboration with the eco-Umweltinstitut, Cologne
• contacts to authorities and textile associations
• development and provisioning of textile guidelines
• the organization of trade conferences (such as the Intercot)

Take advantage of our potential and excellent reputation to (further) develop and monitor your company's specific ecological and social criteria independently. You will then be able to offer your customers a brand based on its own trustworthy, consistent quality assurance concept that meets the expectations of critical consumers.

>> How to become certified

IMO is inspecting textile operations since 1992. We inspect and certify world-wide along the whole textile chain: raw material, yarn production, fabric production, confection/garment manufacturing.

Some of the most important organic textile standard organisations (such as IVN, OTA, Soil Association and Demeter) value the high quality of IMO textile auditing and have approved IMO as inspection (and certification) body for their schemes.