#Raw Materials

2023-03-16

Traceability: Connecting the textile value chain

Traceability and transparency initiatives throughout the cotton value chain and within the textile industry gain importance. During the International Cotton Conference Bremen 2022 selected speakers presented their projects with different technological backgrounds and perspectives in this field.

Traceable Uzbek Cotton

Rinat Gulyaev, Director, Cotton Science-Innovation Center, Uzbekistan spoke about the development of an electronic traceability system for cotton products in the Uzbek cotton supply chain. Mr. Gulyaev said that Uzbekistan now processes domestically 100 percent of the cotton grown and 45 percent of the yarn is produced in Uzbekistan. Textile exports were valued at $3.1 billion in 2021, and Uzbekistan hopes to raise production of textiles, knitwear and garments to $15 billion by 2025.

Transparency and traceability were important measures for increasing exports to the European Union and the United States. However, farm-level data on cotton production and ginning, and textile mill data on greige goods production is lacking. He said that it would be possible to provide farm-level data for cotton produced in Uzbekistan using permanent bale identification tags with barcodes or RFID technology.

Therefore, Uzbekistan has embarked on a project in the Bukhara region involving nearly 68,000 farmers and 226,000 hectares of various crops, including 98,000 hectares of cotton, to develop a specialized system of data collection for integration into international traceability systems. The aim of the project is to inform consumers of finished products about the entire production chain, including origin, composition, quality, and compliance with social and environmental standards. A nationwide adoption is planned in one or two years.

Presentation of Mr Rinat Gulyaev on the website of the Bremen Cotton Exchange (pdf)

https://baumwollboerse.de/wp-content/uploads/2023/01/CCB-2022_Gulyaev.pdf

Value Added US Cotton

Ms. Mariam Paris, Head of Americas CE & Mkt, Veg Seeds, Bayer Crop Science, Munich, Germany, spoke about the Fiber Quality Initiative by Deltapine. This is a pilot to showcase traceability and sustainability in U.S. grown Deltapine™ or Deltapine Select™ varieties. Ms. Paris also observed that the importance of fibre origin is rising, and there is greater interest in domestic manufacturing. Therefore, Deltapine has developed a partnership strategy to educate retailers and consumers on the virtues of cotton, to address sustainability, traceability and quality challenges the textile industry faces, and to provide financial benefits to Deltapine growers for helping to solve these challenges.

The Fiber Quality Initiative Pilot Program with medical scrubs made of 100 percent US-grown Deltapine cotton was started in 2020. The scrubs were treated with an antimicrobial technology, PROTX2 AV. Every aspect of the project, from seed breeding to cut and sew, was done in the United States, and participants were registered with the United States Cotton Trust Protocol, ensuring traceability. Scrub sets were donated to staff in 15 hospitals in August 2021, and commercialization efforts were launched with private suppliers of medical equipment.

Distributed Ledger Technologies for the Textile and Clothing Industry

Ms. Gesine Köppe, Project Manager, ITA Academy GmbH, Aachen, Germany spoke about Distributed Ledger Technologies in textile value chains. The complex infrastructure and multiple individual actors pose a challenge for transparency and traceability in the value chain. Most supply chain software requires energy and time to input and manage data. The objective is to ensure supply chain transparency within a global network using Distributed Ledger Technologies (DLT).

Ms. Köppe explained that a DLT is a decentralized database that allows participants in a network to share ledgers and maintain read and write access. Blockchain is a well-known technology in which a network is decentralized. Transactions are validated and ledger copies are stored. A blockchain has a redundant structure and ensures immutability and is tamper-proof. The textile value chain can benefit from the use of DLT.

The TexCHAINge Task Force on Digital Supply Chain Management aims to enable German textile and clothing companies to overcome the challenges of structural change through digitization in supply chain management. Participants include evan GmbH, Ernstings Family GmbH, KiK Textilien und Non-Food GmbH, ITA Academy GmbH, Bremer Baumwollbörse, Peek & Cloppenburg, and consider it. Ms. Köppe acknowledge that adoption of blockchain technology is difficult, and ITA Academy has set up a Digital Capability Center to enable potential users to envision the integration of DLT with manufacturing processes.

Presentation of Ms Gesine Köppe on the website of the Bremen Cotton Exchange (pdf)

https://baumwollboerse.de/wp-content/uploads/2023/01/CCB-2022_Koeppe.pdf

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.

A Powerful Opening: Global thought leaders launch the International Cotton Conference Bremen

The International Cotton Conference Bremen will open on 25 March 2026 in the Parliament building of the Free Hanseatic City of Bremen with a keynote session of exceptional calibre. Distinguished international experts will set the stage for the conference by offering incisive perspectives on the most pressing challenges and the defining trends shaping the future of the global cotton trade. Their insights will span a broad spectrum — from geopolitically driven disruptions affecting global supply chains to the opportunities emerging from innovation-led agriculture capable of supporting a growing world population. Together, these opening keynotes will frame the dialogue of the conference, highlighting both the complexity of today’s market environment and the pathways toward a resilient and forward-looking cotton sector.

Beyond Cotton: Natural Fibres in the Spotlight at the Bremen Cotton Conference - Branded by DNFI

Climate targets, fragile supply chains, and rising regulatory requirements are fundamentally changing the perspective of the textile industry - the focus is increasingly shifting toward the base material. Not only cotton, but natural fibres are gaining significant importance: they stand out not only because of their outstanding functional properties, but also because they make a valuable contribution to the bioeconomy and responsible product development.

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.

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.

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.

2026 general meeting of the Friends and Supporters of RWTH Aachen at ITA

The Friends and Supporters of RWTH Aachen e. V. (proRWTH) looked back on a successful year of support at their 2026 general meeting. The meeting took place at Institut für Textiltechnik (ITA) of RWTH Aachen and was combined with a joint session of the Executive Board and the Administrative Board. Before the general meeting began, participants were given a guided tour of ITA, providing them with fascinating insights into current research and development topics in textile engineering.

Footwear innovation enabled by warp knitting technology– insights from New Balance

The future of the athletic shoe is increasingly being shaped on warp knitting machines. For KARL MAYER, the footwear industry is one of the most important growth markets – and one of the sectors where innovative textiles can realize their full potential. In his keynote address at the opening of KARL MAYER’s TEXTILE INNOVATION CENTER in Obertshausen in April, Vishnu Prakash Muthusamy, Senior Textile and Materials Engineer at New Balance, explained the opportunities that warp knitting technology opens up for performance, sustainability, and faster development processes, and why textile manufacturers are transitioning from suppliers to development partners.

HKRITA signs MoU with Jeanologia and Looptworks to establish the Green Machine Circular Textile Ecosystem

The Hong Kong Research Institute of Textiles and Apparel (HKRITA) yesterday officially signed a landmark Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with two key global partners, Jeanologia and Looptworks, to establish the Green Machine Circular Textile Ecosystem – a first-of-its-kind collaboration to accelerate the large-scale recycling of blended textiles.