{"id":57676,"date":"2026-02-26T11:53:33","date_gmt":"2026-02-26T11:53:33","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/textileexchange.org\/?post_type=reports&#038;p=57676"},"modified":"2026-03-03T17:00:13","modified_gmt":"2026-03-03T17:00:13","slug":"preferred-production-systems-definitions-guidance","status":"publish","type":"reports","link":"https:\/\/textileexchange.org\/knowledge-center\/reports\/preferred-production-systems-definitions-guidance\/","title":{"rendered":"Preferred Production Systems: Principles, Definitions, and Guidance"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"7016\" height=\"4961\" src=\"https:\/\/textileexchange.org\/app\/uploads\/2026\/02\/preferred-production-systems.png\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-57605\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Textile Exchange has recently recognized the need to evolve its thinking\u2014and that of the industry\u2014from the concept of \u201cpreferred materials\u201d to that of \u201cpreferred production systems\u201d.<\/h4>\n\n\n\n<p>The change in language supports our theory of change and outcomes-driven approach by contextualizing the transformation we are aiming to drive within production systems. It also articulates an ideal future state for production systems, without prescribing a universal list of \u201cpreferred\u201d and \u201cnon-preferred\u201d materials.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The below document\u202fprovides\u202fhigh-level\u202fdefinitions,\u202fguidance,\u202fand\u202fprinciples\u202ffor\u202fthe\u202ffashion, apparel,\u202fand textile\u202findustry\u202fto support\u202fthe transition to preferred production systems\u202ffor fibers and materials.<\/p>\n\n\n<section id=\"page-block-block_8065d3f90b63631210b50f6a6195f25c\" class=\"acf-block block-content-image has-spring-background-color double-spacing-top double-spacing-bottom\">\n\t\t<div class=\"container\">\n\t\t<div class=\"row align-items-center\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"block-content-image__col col-12 col-lg-5 content-left\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"block-content-image__content-wrapper\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<h6>DOWNLOAD<\/h6>\n<h2>Download the document<\/h2>\n<p><em>Preferred Production Systems: Principles, Definitions, and Guidance<\/em> covers Tier 4 material production systems, encompassing the production and processing stages of raw material development within the fashion, apparel, and textile industry. It is intended for a broad range of audiences, including brands, suppliers, consultants, and academia.<\/p>\n<div class='c-btn-wrapper text-left'><a href='https:\/\/textileexchange.org\/app\/uploads\/2026\/02\/Preferred-Production-Systems-Guidance_February-2026.pdf' class='c-btn c-btn-secondary c-btn-color-normal' target='_blank'><span>Download the full document<\/span><\/a><\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t<div class=\"block-content-image__col col-12 col-lg-6 offset-lg-1 image-right order-lg-last\">\n\t\t\t\t<figure class=\"aspectratio ratio-4x3 block-content-image__image\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<img decoding=\"async\" width=\"630\" height=\"445\" src=\"https:\/\/textileexchange.org\/app\/uploads\/2026\/02\/preferred-production-systems.png\" class=\"attachment-half-width-hard size-half-width-hard\" alt=\"\" \/>\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/figure>\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t<\/div>\n<\/section>\n\n\n<section id=\"page-block-block_76627e8df75b93ed8eca4e6407637e14\" class=\"acf-block block-content-image has-cloud-background-color\">\n\t\t<div class=\"container\">\n\t\t<div class=\"row align-items-center\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"block-content-image__col col-12 col-lg-5 offset-lg-1 content-right order-lg-last\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"block-content-image__content-wrapper\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<h6><span data-contrast=\"none\">DEFINITION<\/span><\/h6>\n<h3><span data-contrast=\"none\">What are \u201cpreferred production systems\u201d?<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/h3>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">Textile Exchange defines preferred production systems as:<br \/>\n<\/span><em><br \/>\n<\/em>&#8220;Production systems that deliver \u200breduced impacts and increased benefits \u200bfor climate, nature, people, and animals \u200bagainst the conventional equivalent, \u200bthrough a holistic approach to management and transformation.&#8221;<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t<div class=\"block-content-image__col col-12 col-lg-6 image-left order-lg-first\">\n\t\t\t\t<figure class=\"aspectratio ratio-4x3 block-content-image__image\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<img decoding=\"async\" width=\"630\" height=\"474\" src=\"https:\/\/textileexchange.org\/app\/uploads\/2026\/02\/TEXTILE-EXCHANGE-REGENERATIVE-FARMING-HIGH-RESOLUTION32-large-1-630x474.jpeg\" class=\"attachment-half-width-hard size-half-width-hard\" alt=\"Cows grazing in a field\" srcset=\"https:\/\/textileexchange.org\/app\/uploads\/2026\/02\/TEXTILE-EXCHANGE-REGENERATIVE-FARMING-HIGH-RESOLUTION32-large-1-630x474.jpeg 630w, https:\/\/textileexchange.org\/app\/uploads\/2026\/02\/TEXTILE-EXCHANGE-REGENERATIVE-FARMING-HIGH-RESOLUTION32-large-1-630x474@2x.jpeg 1260w\" \/>\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/figure>\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t<\/div>\n<\/section>\n\n\n<section id=\"page-block-block_050b2ecce285e450dadc43fa484e8580\" class=\"acf-block block-content-image has-cloud-background-color\">\n\t\t<div class=\"container\">\n\t\t<div class=\"row align-items-center\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"block-content-image__col col-12 col-lg-5 content-left\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"block-content-image__content-wrapper\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<h6>WHAT&#8217;S INSIDE<\/h6>\n<h3>The guidance paper includes sections on:<\/h3>\n<ul>\n<li>Why preferred production systems?<\/li>\n<li>Overarching principles of preferred production systems.<\/li>\n<li>Principles specific to cropping, animal, forestry, and recycling systems.<\/li>\n<li>Background to the concept of preferred.<\/li>\n<li>Definitions and terms related to preferred materials.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>The contents of this document will underpin Textile Exchange&#8217;s tools, resources, and initiatives, including:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Pathways to preferred production systems for Textile exchange <a href=\"https:\/\/textileexchange.org\/membership\/\">members<\/a>, including related actions and targets.<\/li>\n<li>Annual reporting mechanisms, such as the <a href=\"https:\/\/textileexchange.org\/knowledge-center\/reports\/materials-market-report-2025\/\">Materials Market Report.<\/a><\/li>\n<li>The <a href=\"https:\/\/textileexchange.org\/about-materials-matrix\/\">Fiber and Materials Matrix.<\/a><\/li>\n<li>The <a href=\"https:\/\/textileexchange.org\/materials-matter-standard\/\">Materials Matter Standard system.<\/a><\/li>\n<li>Material summaries (available to members in The Hub)<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><strong>NOTE:<\/strong> The document is intended to replace the 2023 <em>Preferred Materials: Definitions and Guidance<\/em>.<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t<div class=\"block-content-image__col col-12 col-lg-6 offset-lg-1 image-right order-lg-last\">\n\t\t\t\t<figure class=\"aspectratio ratio-1x1 ratio-lg-3x4 block-content-image__image\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<img decoding=\"async\" width=\"1\" height=\"1\" src=\"https:\/\/textileexchange.org\/app\/uploads\/2026\/02\/20241101_TextileExchange_OjaiRanch-113.jpg\" class=\"attachment-vertical-image-xl size-vertical-image-xl\" alt=\"materials matter standard\" \/>\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/figure>\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t<\/div>\n<\/section>\n\n\n\n<p><\/p>\n","protected":false},"featured_media":57605,"template":"","kc-category":[519,478,470,477,514,476,474,473],"class_list":["post-57676","reports","type-reports","status-publish","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","kc-category-best-practice","kc-category-brands","kc-category-en","kc-category-farmers","kc-category-fiber-materials","kc-category-members","kc-category-procedures","kc-category-suppliers"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v25.6 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/wordpress\/plugins\/seo\/ -->\n<title>Defining Preferred Production Systems - Textile Exchange<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Learn more about Textile Exchange&#039;s high-level\u202fdefinition and guidance on preferred production systems\u202ffor fibers and materials.\" 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