The ICAC, recognising the serious threat to the global cotton supply chain, is foregoing the revenue from the publication because the organisation believes it’s more important to keep all cotton and textile stakeholders informed and connected.

‘Once the world gets the coronavirus under control, the cotton and textile industries will face the serious challenge of restarting their stalled global supply chains’, said ICAC Executive Director Kai Hughes.

‘To minimise the suffering of so many vulnerable people, we will need to be ready to get back to work as quickly and safely as possible — and that can only happen if all stakeholders stay informed and connected throughout the crisis. Making some of our information free will help stakeholders make informed strategic decisions to ensure that happens’.

Other initiatives in the ICAC’s Covid-19 communications strategy are:

• A video interview series called ‘Cotton Connects’, in which the ICAC Secretariat interviews global cotton and textile industry leaders to get advice and updates;
  

• A Twitter campaign to publicly recognise those global brands and retailers that are meeting their responsibilities by paying for, or agreeing to pay for, all orders that have been completed or are under construction; and
  

• Driving and coordinating global support for the much-anticipated World Cotton Day on 7 October 2020, in which individuals, associations and businesses will celebrate and show their support for cotton, the world’s most important natural fibre.