[pageLogInLogOut]

#Raw Materials

ICAC's 80th Plenary Meeting explores sustainability efforts for global cotton

Given the theme of the ICAC’s 80th Plenary Meeting — ‘Driving Sustainability through Innovation and Leadership’ — it’s no surprise that both of today’s sessions focussed on sustainability, but they did it from very different perspectives.

The opening session on Day Two of the Plenary Meeting was entitled, 'Technical Session: How Can Regenerative Agriculture Contribute to a Sustainable Cotton Industry?’. Chaired by ICAC Chief Scientist Dr Keshav Kranthi, the session featured three globally renowned speakers:


  • Dr Rattan Lal from Ohio State University spoke about 'Soil Organic Carbon and Soil Health’,
  • Dr Fabio Rafael Echer from São Paulo Western University discussed 'Improving Cotton’s Sustainability in the Tropics', and
  • Dr Kater Hake from Cotton Incorporated presented on 'Regenerative Agriculture – Implications for the Textile Industry’.
© 2022 ICAC
© 2022 ICAC


The second session, focussing on economic sustainability, addressed a topic chosen by the ICAC’s Private Sector Advisory Council (PSAC): 'Regulatory Policies by Governments that Could Negatively Affect the Consumption of Natural Fibres’. Chaired by PSAC Chairman Peter Wakefield, there were four world-class speakers, each of whom presented his proposals and recommendations as Chair of one of the PSAC’s four permanent committees:


  • Cliff White, Australian Cotton Shippers Association, representing the Permanent Committee on Merchants and Other Cotton Related Activities,
  • Francisco Ferreira dos Santos, Mozambique Cotton Association, representing the Permanent Committee on Producers and Ginners,
  • Muhammad Anees Khawaja, All Pakistan Textile Mills Association, representing the Permanent Committee on Textiles, and
  • Nate Herman, American Apparel & Footwear Association, representing the Permanent Committee on Brands and Retailers.



© 2022 ICAC
© 2022 ICAC


As ICAC Executive Director Kai Hughes emphasised after yesterday’s opening session, sustainability is a challenge that will affect everyone in the global cotton textile supply chain, and so all stakeholders everywhere must work together to find solutions. Today’s two sessions — covering everything from soil to textiles to government policy — illustrate the sheer size of the challenge but they also show that the cotton and textile industry has the people, expertise and determination to overcome it.


The Plenary Meeting will conclude with two sessions tomorrow (all times are GMT-5):

  • 1.) 'Rethinking Fashion and Textiles for 2030' from 9:10 am through 11:00 am, and
  • 2.) The World Cafe, 'The Evolving Global Textile Supply Chain', from 11:10 am through 12:10 pm.


The ICAC’s Virtual 80th Plenary Meeting has the theme, 'Driving Sustainability through Innovation and Leadership' and is being held 29 November to 1 December. You can join the meeting when it is in session by clicking here.

Speaker presentations and the 80th Plenary Meeting’s agenda can be found here. An announcement will be sent in the coming days once all recorded presentations are uploaded and available on YouTube. 




More News from International Cotton Advisory Committee (ICAC)

#Natural Fibers

Organic cotton at the crossroads: Ideology, evidence, and the road ahead

Organic cotton occupies one of the most contentious spaces in global agriculture. While praised by brands and consumers for its environmental ideals, it also faces persistent questions about yield stability, certification integrity, and scalability. The current edition of The ICAC Recorder cuts through the ideology to deliver a rigorous, evidence-based assessment of both sides of the debate.

#Raw Materials

CSITC adds ABRAPA as a round trial sample provider

Beginning with the Q2 2026 Round Trials, the ICAC's Committee on the Commercial Standardization of Instrument Testing of Cotton has expanded its sample provision framework by adding the Brazilian Cotton Growers Association (ABRAPA) as an official sample provider.

#Raw Materials

Dr N Vigneshwaran is named 2026 ICAC Researcher of the Year

The International Cotton Advisory Committee (ICAC) is pleased to announce the selection of Dr N Vigneshwaran, Principal Scientist and Head of the Chemical and Biochemical Processing Division at the ICAR–Central Institute for Research on Cotton Technology (ICAR-CIRCOT), Mumbai, India, as the ICAC Researcher of the Year 2026.

#Raw Materials

Global Cotton area and production are projected to decline in the 2026/27 Season

The June 2026 issue of Cotton This Month projects a modest contraction in global cotton area, production, and trade during the 2026/27 season, reflecting weaker demand sentiment, rising production costs, and shifting environmental factors across major producing nations.

More News on Raw Materials

#Natural Fibers

Cotton made in Africa partners receive top marks in independent verifications

Cotton made in Africa® (CmiA) and CmiA Organic are two internationally recognised standards that aim to promote sustainable development in the African cotton sector south of the Sahara. To ensure the standards’ credibility among brands, retailers, and consumers, independent verifiers evaluate compliance on the ground. The verification results for 2025, now published in the Aggregated Verification & Implementation Report, were very strong: The verifiers awarded consistently very good remarks regarding management, people, prosperity, and the environment.

#Natural Fibers

Cotton ConneXions Insight to Impact brings supply chain leaders together around cotton innovation

Cotton Incorporated’s Cotton ConneXions Insight to Impact brought together more than 300 industry leaders from 140 companies across 10 countries, including more than 45 top global brands and sourcing organizations, underscoring strong global interest in cotton-rich product development, sourcing and supply chain collaboration.

#Natural Fibers

Bremen Cotton Exchange: Fritz A. Grobien re-elected as President

The members of the Bremen Cotton Exchange have re-elected Fritz A. Grobien as President during the association’s 152nd General Assembly on June 18, 2026. The election confirms the organization’s commitment to maintaining its role as a leading international platform for the cotton and fiber industry amid a period of geopolitical and economic uncertainty.

#Man-Made Fibers

Christian Wichert appointed Chief Executive Officer to lead next phase of growth

AMSilk GmbH (“AMSilk”), a global leader in advanced biomaterials made from silk proteins, today announces the appointment of Christian Wichert as its new Chief Executive Officer (CEO), effective 1 June. The appointment marks a pivotal moment in AMSilk’s journey, as the Company advances from development through scale-up to commercialization.

Latest News

#Nonwovens

EDANA announces five new board members following 2026 Annual General Meeting

The EDANA Board of Governors is elected or re-elected at the Annual General Meeting by the member companies. The Governors are senior executives (business leaders) from member companies, based in different countries and representing different sectors of the nonwovens industry. The Board has central responsibility for guiding EDANA's overall strategy and approving its policies and priorities. It meets three times a year.

#Nonwoven machines

DiloGroup - Complete nonwoven needling line for hygiene materials in the United States

DiloGroup has received an order for a complete needling line designed for the production of hygiene materials in the United States. This project further strengthens our position in the American hygiene sector and reflects the continued demand for reliable, high-performance nonwoven equipment.

#Associations

Bangladesh: Italian textile machinery mission stops in Dhaka and Chittagong

Technological upgrading and the transition toward higher value-added production are driving the new Italian industrial mission to Bangladesh. This year, the mission will split between the country’s two main manufacturing hubs, where Italian manufacturers will meet the leaders of the local textile supply chain in two strategic stages: July 7th in Dhaka and July 9th in Chittagong.

#Recycling / Circular Economy

RE&UP establishes Fiber Club consortium to scale Next-Gen material sourcing

Originally developed as an umbrella framework by innovation platform Fashion for Good, the RE&UP Fiber Club aims to accelerate the commercial adoption of circular Next-Gen materials across the global fashion ecosystem.

TOP