#Raw Materials

2025-03-06

Aid by Trade Foundation announces new Head of Business Development

Valéa Vadaleau will join the Aid by Trade Foundation team as Head of Business Development on March 1, 2025. She succeeds Christian Barthel, who will retire in November 2025 after 18 years at the Hamburg-based foundation.

With extensive experience in the international textile industry and a strong background in environmental, social and governance (ESG) frameworks, Valéa Vadaleau will strengthen the Foundation’s management team. The fashion manager has held various management positions in the German textile trade since 2010 and was and was responsible for the successful establishment and expansion of Peek & Cloppenburg’s sourcing office in Hong Kong. In the course of her career, she specialized in the area of sustainability. Most recently, through her own company, KYBELE, she advised companies on the development and implementation of sustainable supply chains.

Valea Vadaleau © 2025 Aid by Trade Foundation

Tina Stridde, Managing Director of the Aid by Trade Foundation, says: “Her expertise in the international textile industry, in strategic planning and in the implementation of sustainable textile supply chains, as well as her leadership experience will make a decisive contribution to the further development of the Aid by Trade Foundation and will set an important course for the future of the organization. I look forward to working with her. At the same time, I would like to sincerely thank Christian Barthel for his many years of commitment to the organization. His expertise, creative power and determination have made a decisive contribution to the foundation’s success.”

Christian Barthel began his career in 1986 as a sourcing manager at the Otto Group and spent 26 years for the company in Turkey and China before becoming Head of Business Development, where he was responsible for the sales and supply chain activities of the Aid by Trade Foundation. Until his retirement, he will remain Managing Director of ATAKORA GmbH, which holds the exclusive marketing rights for the Aid by Trade Foundation’s standards and ensures the smooth integration of the sustainable cotton and cashmere textile fibers into international supply chains.

The Good Cashmere Standard expands Animal Welfare Assessment on audited farms

With the Animal-related Animal Welfare Assessment (ARAWA), the Aid by Trade Foundation (AbTF) conducts a pioneering project for the second consecutive year in 2025, parallel to the independent verifications of The Good Cashmere Standard® (GCS). ARAWA assessments provide a comprehensive overview of the health status of a herd on an audited farm, going beyond standard verification procedures. They are inherently complex, which still makes them a rarity in the standard sector, but offer support in identifying non-conformities and provide a holistic overview of the herd's well-being. Therefore, the Aid by Trade Foundation will continue this crucial project and even further expand it by 2027.

Aid by Trade Foundation reaches new milestones in supply chain transparency

The Aid by Trade Foundation (AbTF) is reaching new milestones as it leads the way towards greater physical traceability for Cotton made in Africa® (CmiA) cotton. With around 700 suppliers and producers in a total of 25 countries, the Aid by Trade Foundation has reached a new record number of partners who can trace CmiA cotton from the product back to its origin. This is more than double the previous year’s figure.

Cashmere producers stress the importance of The Good Cashmere Standard®

At the invitation of the Aid by Trade Foundation (AbTF), over 70 experts from the cashmere production and supply chain, as well as other specialists, met at the GCS Unit Meeting in Shanghai, China to discuss the progress and new objectives of The Good Cashmere Standard (GCS). The meeting focused on implementation and verification of the standard, important aspects of animal welfare and the importance of the standard in the global textile market.

Aid by Trade Foundation publishes 2024 annual report: Growing impact for environment and people

The Aid by Trade Foundation (AbTF) is on a growth track. Despite a challenging global economy, AbTF increased its income by six percent from 2023 to 2024, reaching a total of EUR 8.6 million. This revenue has been invested in comprehensive measures for the sustainable production of cotton and cashmere as well as for expanded measures to ensure transparency in global value chains. In addition to gaining new partners in 2024—including big names like Mango, Nordstrom, and CWS Workwear—AbTF was able to expand its global stakeholder network active in the production of raw materials or textiles.

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.

"We will become a recycling powerhouse"

The textile industry is now in its fourth consecutive year of crisis, while automation, artificial intelligence and recycling are reshaping the rules of the game. In this interview, Rieter CEO Thomas Oetterli discusses the first signs of a market recovery, reflects on his first three years at the helm of the company, explains the integration of Barmag, outlines Rieter’s vision of the fully automated spinning mill and highlights the strategic importance of recycling. In doing so, he explains why the new Rieter Group aims to play a leading role in transforming the textile value chain into a circular economy.

EDANA launches landmark continence report to mark the start of the World Continence Week

Today marks the official commencement of the World Continence Week. To honour this global awareness initiative, EDANA has published a comprehensive report titled "The Central Role of Absorbent Hygiene Products in the Management of Adult Urinary Incontinence: Benefits, Costs and Environmental Impact." The World Continence Week (WCW) is an annual global initiative dedicated to raising public awareness about incontinence and bladder or bowel health issues. Traditionally held in June, this awareness week aims to shed light on a condition that affects millions of people worldwide but is frequently kept secret due to widespread social stigma, embarrassment, and taboo.

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.