[pageLogInLogOut]

#Raw Materials

Focus on the International Cotton Industry

(c) 2024 Nick Robinson - Cotton Australia
The International Cotton Conference starts in Bremen in just a few weeks. With approximately 400 people attending, for the 37th time the Hanseatic city of Bremen will become a focal point for today’s global cotton industry and its supply chain, from cotton cultivation through to the end product.

Delegates will be evenly split across the areas of cotton farming, processing, retail and the textile trade, industry service providers and, as always, research. The conference is being organised by the Bremen Cotton Exchange and Fibre Institute Bremen.

This year, the venue is not the historic Town Hall, but the city’s modern parliament building, known as the Haus der Bürgerschaft, right next to the Bremen Cotton Exchange. 

Reflecting on the state of the supply chain as part of eleven sessions with informative lectures and first-rate discussion groups, the conference will cover a range of topics offering an insight into the current situation in the industry, while focusing on the challenges and presenting forward-looking solution models.

Cotton is cultivated in around 80 countries worldwide, covering everything from small-scale farming to industrial structures. A large part of these are developing countries in which agriculture is still the main source of income for many people. Anyone who is or would like to be involved in the global cotton industry, simply must have knowledge of the economic and structural relationships of the trade in individual countries.

What is meant by progressive cotton production?

A more focused look at the considerable progress being made in the development of cotton farming in growth regions will be provided by four informative lectures, including a session on Cotton Production in Growing Regions.

USA: David Albers, Bayer USA, will inform attendees about significant developments in the use of various genetically modified types of cotton in the US in the period from 2008 to 2022. The focus will be on analysing the progress in relation to fibre length. This is a key factor for the manufacture of high-quality yarns in the spinning mills.

China: Jingyan Wei from the Cotton Research Institute at the Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences in Anyang, will present the results of tests on various types of cotton in the form of 266 samples taken from the country’s main cotton growing regions. These were analysed using various test methods with regard to quality standards such as spinnability, uniformity of length, and strength. The findings confirmed that the quality of the samples met with the expectations of China’s spinning sector.




Uzbekistan: Rinat Gulyaev from the Cotton Science and Innovation Centre in Tashkent will speak about the extensive transformation of the Uzbek cotton sector as the basis of an ambitious textile export strategy. This includes the use of a monitoring system to check the growth process of seed cotton and the introduction of drip irrigation systems, as well as advanced developments in the field of organic agriculture and an increase in the use of machine harvesting. Also noteworthy are the investments in new instruments for testing cotton quality, and mechanisms for raw material traceability.

Greece: Chris Cavalaris from the University of Thessaly in Volos and Maria Stenull from the BASF Sustainability Team will report on findings from a pilot project on regenerative cultivation practices for sustainable and traceable cotton production in Greece. The University of Thessaly worked with selected Greek cotton farmers from three growing regions and the agricultural division of BASF to implement regenerative methods for producing certified, non-genetically modified cotton. This focused on comparing conventional farming with regenerative methods in relation to their life cycle analysis. During the conference, findings will be presented on developments regarding CO2 footprint, yields and other parameters between 2022 and 2023.

Online access to the cotton conference

Delegates who will not be travelling to Bremen and have therefore opted to participate online may follow the conference on the tried and tested online platform. Here, all participants will have access to every conference session, break-out session, and poster presentation. Those attending the conference in person will also be able to watch the sessions online and use the variety of networking tools available.

The Bremen Cotton Exchange team will provide detailed information about other programme topics at the International Cotton Conference in further press releases in the run-up to the conference. All information is regularly updated and can be found on the conference website at www.cotton-conference-bremen.de.

Registration is now open

Participants can register easily at any time online at https://cotton-conference-bremen.de/registration/



More News from Bremer Baumwollbörse

#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.

#Raw Materials

Fiber traceability - A vehicle to ensure sustainability or injustice?

The Bremen Cotton Exchange is making a new paper available for download. In this paper, analyst Veronica Bates Kassatly and statistician Terry Townsend examine the justifications behind this approach and assess the consequences for textile and apparel sustainability claims and global legislation.

#Raw Materials

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.

#Natural Fibers

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.

More News on Raw Materials

#Raw Materials

Brazil sets new cotton export record and consolidates global leadership

Brazil ended the 2025/26 commercial year with a new record, consolidating its position as the world’s largest cotton exporter. Between August 2025 and July 2026, the country shipped 3,373,941 tonnes of the fiber, 19% more than in the previous cycle, and reached record revenue of US$5.3 billion. The result represents a milestone in Brazil’s expansion in the international market and reinforces the country’s role as a strategic supplier to the global textile industry.

#Raw Materials

Better Cotton Initiative partners with Avalo in AI plant breeding for climate-resilient cotton

The Better Cotton Initiative (BCI) has partnered with agriculture solutions company Avalo, whose platform accelerates the speed at which plants with key resiliency traits may be developed.

#Raw Materials

ICAC International Seminar in Taipei to explore strategic synergies across the textile supply chain

The International Cotton Advisory Committee (ICAC) — together with the Taiwan Textile Federation (TTF), under the guidance of the Ministry of Economic Affairs and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Taiwan — will bring international cotton and textile leaders together in Taipei on September 10 for the ICAC International Seminar 2026.

#Raw Materials

Aid by Trade Foundation presents annual report for 2025: Market position and impact of sustainably verified natural fibres strengthened

Despite global supply chain challenges, the Aid by Trade Foundation (AbTF) was able to further expand its international role in promoting sustainably verified natural fibres in 2025. In doing so, the foundation remains true to its fundamental approach of leveraging market forces. Last year, it generated total revenues of EUR 7.8 million; this included EUR 6.7 million collected through the successful marketing of four standards: Cotton made in Africa (CmiA), CmiA Organic, The Good Cashmere Standard (GCS), and the Regenerative Cotton Standard (RCS). AbTF invested the resulting income in projects aiming to protect biodiversity, support women, increase transparency in the textile supply chain, and implement its verification system.

Latest News

#Man-Made Fibers

The LYCRA Company expands its co-creation vision through an immersive Lifestyle District at Intertextile Shanghai.

The LYCRA Company, a global leader in fiber and technology solutions for the apparel industry, is reimagining the trade show experience at Intertextile Shanghai Apparel Fabrics Autumn Edition, which opened today in China. Building on the success of last year's ALL IN concept, the company has expanded its co-creation vision into a 356-square-meter Lifestyle District featuring partners Jingzili New Material, JYT Textile, Lianxingfa Knitting, and Trend Textile. The district is part of a larger 895-square-meter pavilion showcasing a total of 19 co-exhibitors. Together, they demonstrate how innovations in fiber, fabric, and garments can be combined to create compelling solutions for both work and play.

#Natural Fibers

Plastic-free stretch technologies drive new direction for denim innovation

As the denim industry looks for ways to reduce its reliance on synthetic fibres, plastic-free stretch technologies are gaining momentum. Developments based on mechanical fabric construction and natural rubber are demonstrating that comfort and stretch can be achieved without conventional elastane, supporting both recyclability and circular product design.

#Man-Made Fibers

Bemberg and Anita Dongre collaborate once again to launch “BREATH” collection

BembergTM and Anita Dongre present BREATH, a ready to wear collection of 18 key silhouettes, shaped by a common belief that true beauty is inseparable from caring for the environment.

#Weaving

"Dynamic markets do not only create uncertainty – they also create opportunities."

Volatile markets, increasingly complex materials and growing demands for flexibility are changing the weaving industry. At the same time, new opportunities are emerging in technical textiles, filtration, composites and many other specialised applications. Since taking over as Head of DORNIER's Weaving Machines Product Line at the beginning of 2026, Yvonne Schuberth has been helping to shape this development. In this interview with TexData, she explains why process stability and customer proximity remain the foundation of innovation, how digitalisation is transforming weaving mills, and why she believes the future belongs to technologically demanding applications.

TOP