In the textile sector where GMO Free cotton production gains importance, GMO Free project which was launched by the National Cotton Council (UPC) and Izmir Commodity Exchange (ITB) in 2010 in order to introduce GMO free Turkish cotton to the world markets with the brand of “GMO Free” did not draw attention as expected.
Barış Kocagöz, the Chairman of UPK and the Head of Assembly of ITB, stated that there are not major developments in relation to GMO Free Project but they fulfil their duties as council in this regard. He added that: “We created a new product in Turkey. The textile industry should adopt this product.” Expressing that Bossa and some other firms used GMO Free label in their products but it was not followed by other firms and thus, the project could not extend to whole sector, Kocagöz added that: “International textile buyers do not approve that a brand or feature that is specific to Turkey becomes a product. In this regard, textile manufacturers follow timid policies and cannot be aggressive in creating this product.”
Reminding that Bossa used the label of “GMO Free” in its denim fabrics, Kocagöz stated that: “This is related to the wishes of the market. An interest arouses when it is said that ‘I want to produce GMO free products, I want to create such a brand’. Recently a Japanese firm bought GMO Free Turkish cotton to use female cosmetics. There are demands but they are slow. GMO free cotton is an important opportunity for Turkey.” Stating that ginneries are far behind the sector and are not included among such innovative products and concluded by saying that: “The market pays attention when top selling products are in question according to the demand of the market as in the case of Better Cotton, then everybody pays attention and no balance exists in the market.”
‘GDO Free’ will ensure the branding of the sector
Emphasizing that they, as UPK and İTB, created a GMO Free brand, Kocagöz expressed that they established the control mechanisms and wrote the standard of the reports on the certification phases. Kocagöz reminded that it was decided by ITB and UPK to put the label of “GMO Free” on all the textile and apparel products manufactured out of cotton starting from the cotton bales as a result of the studies launched in 2010.
Pointing out to the fact that labelling the cottons produced in our country with the expression of “100 % GMO Free” and the products manufactured out of these cottons with the expression of “Manufactured out of 100 % GMO Free Turkish Cotton” will surely contribute to the branding of our country in this sector, Kocagöz added that it will also affect the preferences of the conscious consumers in a positive manner. Kocagöz stated that it is possible to stand out in the world market by using this feature for all textile and apparel products manufactured out of Turkish cotton.
Claiming that each textile and apparel product manufactured out of Turkish cotton can find place in the world market with the label of “GMO Free”, Kocagöz gave information as such: “Therefore, there are ongoing studies aiming at extending this ‘Quality Identity Step’ initiated in fibre cotton to the end products of the Turkish textile sector. In this scope, “GMO Free Standard” was established in order to conduct the labelling to be made on the textile and apparel products by the internationally accepted control institutions. In this manner, yarn, fabric, apparel companies and integrated industrial enterprises can apply to the relevant certification institutions so that their products are labelled as GMO Free.
