#Raw Materials

2021-05-27

Promoting better cotton farming practices in Maharashtra: Case study

Between August 2019 and October 2020, the Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit GmbH (GIZ) funded a BCI programme in Maharashtra, India, to engage approximately 140,000 farmers in the Nandurbar, Chandrapur and Nagpur districts.

The programme aimed to promote sustainable environmental and social agricultural practices, with a focus on increasing farmer income through better yields and market connectivity, while also improving environmental and decent work practices.

Case Study: Women’s Self-Help Groups in Chandrapur

Through one of the programme’s workstreams, BCI Implementing Partner Ambuja Cement Foundation (ACF) launched an initiative in the Jiwati block of the Chandrapur district to explore how women’s ‘self-help groups’ could boost women’s incomes through collectively buying cotton and then trading it onwards. The initiative eventually led to 33 self-help groups being set up in the district, with the groups able to benefit from seed capital provided by the local office of the Maharashtra State Rural Livelihood Mission.

One such self-help group was the Jangudevi Women Self-Help Group, who earned a surplus of €1,250 over a three-month period. Read more about their group and this initiative in this first case study from the programme: Sowing the Seeds of Gender Empowerment in Cotton Value Chains of Maharashtra.

https://bettercotton.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/05/GIZ-BCI-Case-Study-India-Sowing-the-Seeds-of-Gender-Empowerment.pdf

“Production is a product”

From technical textiles and AI-driven robotics to the limitations of textile circularity: Professor Dr Thomas Gries looks back on more than two decades of development at ITA Aachen. In the interview, he explains why production technology remains a decisive success factor, discusses international collaborations and innovation ecosystems, and shares his views on the transformation of production landscapes and the challenges facing an increasingly regulated industry.

“We need to move away from the price trap and return to a value-driven mindset.”

With its new Textile Innovation Center, KARL MAYER is sending a strong signal for innovation, collaboration, and the future of textile applications. In this interview, Karl Josef Mayer discusses new opportunities in warp knitting, the processing of staple fibres, recycling, the changing role of machinery manufacturers, and why the textile industry must once again focus more strongly on the value of textiles. by Oliver Schmidt

“Innovation, resilience and international experience remain the great strengths of the Swiss textile machinery industry”

Geopolitical uncertainty, growing competitive pressure from China, new free trade agreements and the shift towards a circular economy are currently reshaping the global textile industry. In this interview, Cornelia Buchwalder discusses the current mood within the Swiss textile machinery sector, the industry’s distinctive innovative strength, new market opportunities in India and Asia, and the technological trends that could shape the upcoming trade fair cycle leading up to ITMA 2027.

ICAC’s 84th Plenary Meeting to be held March 24-26, 2027, in Alexandria, Egypt

Registration will soon be open for the International Cotton Advisory Committee’s 84th Plenary Meeting, to be held March 24-26, 2027, in Alexandria, Egypt. The local Organizing Committee in Egypt has chosen “Building a Resilient and Competitive Future for Cotton and Textiles” as the theme for the event, which will be held at the Rixos Montaza Alexandria Resort.

Cotton Brazil Dialogues 2026 concludes with 50 international participants immersed in Brazilian cotton production

The Cotton Brazil Dialogues concludes its 2026 edition after a series of technical visits to farms, cotton gins and reference centers, as well as workshops focused on Brazilian cotton production. A total of 50 participants from 14 countries took part in the field trips. The initiative is led by the Brazilian Association of Cotton Growers (Abrapa) and the National Association of Cotton Exporters (Anea), with support from the Brazilian Trade and Investment Promotion Agency (ApexBrasil).

Coats Digital launches AI-powered GSD RealMotion for motion analysis

Coats Digital has launched GSD RealMotion, an AI-powered solution designed to provide apparel manufacturers with greater visibility into factory-floor operations. By analysing shop-floor video and applying Coats Digital’s GSD methodology, the solution turns video recordings into structured, motion-by-motion method studies.

Archroma and Lameirinho partner in pioneering deployment of InOneGO single-step dyeing

Archroma, a global leader in specialty chemicals, and Lameirinho, a leading home textiles manufacturer based in Portugal, are collaborating to bring InOneGO by Archroma, a new single-step dyeing process, into commercial production. Lameirinho’s first InOneGo bedlinens collection is now available worldwide.