#Raw Materials

2023-02-02

‘All ICAC’ Edition of the review focusses on textiles & sustainability

In the newest edition of ‘Cotton: Review of the World Situation’, Editor and Economist Lorena Ruiz turned to her colleagues at the ICAC to address the intersection of two critical topics for cotton: textiles and sustainability.

Executive Summary

The just-released edition of ‘Cotton: Review of the World Situation’ includes:

An article from ICAC Economist Ms Lorena Ruiz on the global textiles and apparel trade,

An article from ICAC Head of Textiles Mr Kanwar Usman on the Product Environmental Footprint,

An article from ICAC Communications Director Mike McCue on the global textile supply chain, and

The official Final Statement from the ICAC’s 80th Plenary Meeting.

In addition to authoring an article herself, ‘Global Textiles and Apparel Trade: A Post-Pandemic Review’, Ms Ruiz secured articles from:

Mr Kanwar Usman, ICAC Head of Textiles, who wrote a deep-dive analysis of the Product Environmental Footprint (PEF), a life-cycle assessment (LCA) methodology developed by the European Commission's Joint Research Center (JRC), and

ICAC Communications Director Mr Mike McCue, who provided an overview of the 2022 World Café, which convened 27 experts from around the world to discuss ‘The Evolving Global Textile Supply Chain’.

The final entry in the 13-page issue is the Final Statement of the ICAC’s 80th Plenary Meeting, which was held virtually from 29 November 2022 – 1 December 2022 with the theme, ‘Driving Sustainability through Innovation and Leadership’.

‘This issue of the Review reflects the recent and intensifying focus of the ICAC on textiles, as evidenced by the hiring of the first-ever Head of Textiles, Kanwar Usman’, Ms Ruiz said. ‘And while sustainability has always been a major area of emphasis for the ICAC, its importance to all stakeholders in the cotton industry is growing rapidly. Between the three staff-written articles and the Final Statement, readers will have a good sense of what the ICAC has been focussing on recently and that will only increase as we move forward’.

To read this free issue of the Review, please click:

https://tinyurl.com/577m7ja7.

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.

China projected to increase cotton production, yields, and imports in 2026/27

World cotton production in the 2026/27 season is projected at 25.9 million tonnes, exceeding global consumption of 25.2 million tonnes, according to the May 2026 issue of Cotton This Month. That means both production and consumption are expected to remain close to current season levels, while global cotton trade is projected to decline by 2.7% to approximately 9.6-9.7 million tonnes.

New U.S. cotton study uses real-world grower data to reveal where fiber impacts occur

Cotton Incorporated has released a critically reviewed life cycle assessment (LCA) of U.S. cotton fiber production that examines how cotton’s environmental impacts are measured and where meaningful improvements can be made across the value chain. The new data, grounded in real‑world grower inputs, measures what drives U.S. cotton’s environmental footprint from field to gin.

ECCO introduces first shoe featuring innovative protein-based fibre

ECCO, in partnership with Spinnova, announces the launch of the limited edition ECCO BIOM® 720, a first-of-its-kind shoe utilising an often overlooked leather by-product, transformed into a protein-based fibre. The fibres are produced using patented technology that advances material innovation while reducing waste and supporting full resource use across the leather and textile industry.

Mario Jorge Machado re-elected President of EURATEX

The EURATEX General Assembly has re-elected Mario Jorge Machado as President of EURATEX, renewing its confidence in his leadership at a crucial moment for the European textile and clothing industry. The sector is facing rising costs, global competitive pressure and an increasingly challenging transition towards sustainability and digitalisation.

ITM 2026 makes happy participants with its international and qualified visitor profile

ITM 2026 International Textile Machinery Exhibition, one of the most prestigious meeting points of the textile machinery sector, attracted attention in its first three days, particularly with its diverse international visitor numbers. Industry professionals from all over the world had the opportunity to closely examine the latest technology machines and solutions displayed in operation. Thousands of visitors from approximately 100 countries, primarily Egypt, Pakistan, India, Uzbekistan, Syria, Turkmenistan, Tajikistan, Morocco, Algeria, and Tunisia, met at the Tüyap Fair and Congress Center for new investment and cooperation opportunities.

KARL MAYER presents a textile TEXTRONIC® innovation at ITM 2026

With highly efficient machines and continuous textile innovations, KARL MAYER underscores its role as a reliable partner for discerning top-tier customers. Just in time for ITM 2026 in Istanbul, the industry leader is introducing a true innovation: an eyelash lace with its characteristic fringed look – combined with a previously unattainable 4-way stretch. While the established fabric could until now only be produced as rigid version or with one-dimensional stretch, the new elasticity in both dimensions expands the possibilities for cross-band panel fabrics.

DYNEEMA® and NP Aerospace advance personal protection for military servicewomen

Dyneema®, owned by Avient Corporation, an innovator of materials solutions, is supplying its high-performance unidirectional (UD) materials to world-leading armor manufacturer NP Aerospace, enabling the production of armor systems designed specifically to fit the female body. With 2,000 new armor systems, including 4,000 plates, made in the United Kingdom (UK) and delivered in June 2026, this collaboration addresses a long-standing lack of high-quality personal protection specially built for female defense and security personnel.