#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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.