By Emily Walzer | July/August 2021

While some pinpoint the Rana Plaza factory collapse tragedy as the tipping point, and others cite the impact of the pandemic as the real change-maker, all agree that the era of textile traceability has arrived. And, importantly, we’re not only talking about a leveling up of supply chain transparency; today’s movement to know the truth about textiles is also consumer driven.

Sustainability goes hand in hand with this trend. As suppliers and brands go deeper into the supply chain to authenticate the social and environmental responsibility of the who, what, where of production, consumers are increasingly along for the ride, educating themselves about everything from origin of raw materials to greenwashing claims.

As a result, suppliers are becoming more receptive to innovative, high-tech traceability platforms, both physical and digital, giving shape to a modern mindset prioritizing supply chain authenticity.

“Five years ago, just a few companies understood that traceability ‘was the right thing to do.’ Today more people are paying attention,” explains MeiLin Wan, vice president, Applied DNA Sciences. “The message has gone from falling on deaf ears to being loud and clear, especially in the last 12 to 15 months. Traceability is the number one issue for the supply chain.”