About The Sourcing Desk

The Sourcing Desk is an independent publication covering ethical apparel sourcing, cotton traceability, and supply-chain compliance for the brands and buyers who make sourcing decisions.

We publish comparative guides and reference material that evaluate garment manufacturers, certification standards, and due-diligence regulation — to help sourcing and compliance teams make informed, defensible supplier decisions.

Editorial Process

Research and drafting. Articles begin with standards-body publications (GOTS, Textile Exchange, Fair Trade, OEKO-TEX), regulatory sources (US CBP / UFLPA, EU CSDDD and EUDR, ILO), and primary data from the suppliers and programs being evaluated. We contact manufacturers directly when certification scope, capacity, or pricing is unclear from public sources.

Source standards. We require multiple high-authority sources per article, prioritising standards bodies, regulators, and peer-reviewed or trade-press reporting over vendor marketing. No single supplier may dominate an article's citations.

Balanced evaluation. Supplier and platform comparisons include both strengths and limitations, name real competitors rather than anonymised placeholders, and disclose geographic, certification, and capacity constraints.

Ongoing verification. Articles carry a "Last Verified" date. We re-check certifications, regulatory status, and supplier claims as standards and law evolve.

Independence and Conflicts of Interest

The Sourcing Desk does not accept payment for coverage, and supplier inclusion is based on editorial relevance, not commercial agreements. Where a supplier is featured, it appears as one option among several, evaluated on the same criteria as its peers.

Disclaimer

Content on The Sourcing Desk is for informational purposes only and does not constitute legal, compliance, or sourcing advice. Certification and regulatory requirements change; verify current obligations with the relevant standards body or qualified counsel before acting.

Contact

For corrections, source disputes, or editorial inquiries, contact us through the information provided on this site.