Producer enrollment for the US Program of the Better Cotton Initiative (BCI) is open until May 15 for the 2026-2027 season. With over 2,600 members spanning the cotton supply chain and more than 11,000 users of its Better Cotton Platform (BCP) as of 2025, BCI’s standard is implemented in 15 countries and covers one fifth of global cotton production.
The International Cotton Advisory Committee (ICAC) is proud to announce that it has been included as a member of the European Commission’s Technical Advisory Board (TAB) on the Product Environmental Footprint methodology. The Commission developed the Product Environmental Footprint (PEF) to assess and communicate the life cycle environmental performance of products and organizations.
World cotton lint production in the 2025/26 season is currently estimated at 26 million tonnes, continuing to exceed world consumption, which is estimated at 25.2 million tonnes, according to the February 2026 edition of Cotton This Month. Global production is estimated to be 1% higher than the previous season, while consumption is estimated to be 0.4% higher, resulting in a continued supply surplus in the world cotton market.
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The 38th International Cotton Conference Bremen will take place from 25 to 27 March 2026 at the Bremen Parliament. This conference has traditionally stood for in-depth expertise and international exchange. The program will focus on technical innovations, market trends, and regulatory frameworks across the entire value chain – from agriculture to the circular economy. With high-profile speakers, the conference is regarded as the key meeting point for the global cotton industry. Today’s focus: Cotton quality and testing methods.
AMSilk GmbH (“AMSilk”), a global leader in advanced biomaterials made from silk proteins, today announced that its bioengineered yarns are featured in commercially available garments within Balenciaga’s Spring 2026 collection.
Natural Fiber Welding Inc. (“NFW”), a pioneer in high-performance, plant-based materials, today announced a strategic investment from Provest Equity Partners, made jointly with CTW Venture Partners (“CTW”). The investment supports NFW’s next phase as the company accelerates commercialization and global scale of its breakthrough climate-tech, low-carbon materials platform.
Biella Yarn, the flat knitting brand of Suedwolle Group, introduces its Spring/Summer 2027 collection “Reimagined” featuring refined yarn blends and advanced spinning technologies designed for contemporary summer knitwear. Under the motto “And the story goes on…”, Biella Yarn continues to push the boundaries of responsible yarn development, offering versatile materials that elevate modern craftsmanship.
The International Cotton Advisory Committee (ICAC) will hold its 83rd Plenary Meeting on 23–24 March 2026 at the Parliament building in Bremen. The meeting will take place immediately ahead of the 38th International Cotton Conference Bremen (25–27 March 2026) and marks a historic premiere: for the first time, the ICAC Plenary will be hosted in close cooperation with the Bremen Cotton Exchange and the Faserinstitut Bremen e.V. (FIBRE).
Dr. Jane K. Dever, a recognized leader in cotton breeding and fiber quality research, was inducted into the 2025 Cotton Research and Promotion Hall of Fame during the joint Cotton Incorporated/Cotton Board Annual Meeting held on December 9 in New Orleans, LA.
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.
The 38th International Cotton Conference Bremen, to be held on 25-27 March 2026 in Bremen’s parliament building on market square, once again sends a powerful signal for professional excellence and international dialogue. The focus is on the latest market trends and technical innovations throughout the entire value chain – from agriculture and quality assurance to processing and the circular economy. With its high-calibre speakers, the conference remains an indispensable forum for anyone involved in shaping the cotton industry scientifically, technically, or economically.
The sustainable cotton standard Cotton made in Africa (CmiA) has always focussed on respect for human rights, including by prohibiting child labour and discrimination. With the new version of the CmiA standard coming into force, AbTF raises requirements for due diligence in the areas of human rights and risk management.
“Innovation has always been part of BASF’s DNA. Especially in these volatile times, it is crucial to leverage our innovative strength to develop competitive solutions that differentiate us as a company in our markets and give us a competitive edge,” said Dr. Stephan Kothrade, Member of the Board of Executive Directors of BASF and Chief Technology Officer, at the company’s Research Press Briefing held today. To achieve this, BASF implemented its “Winning Ways” strategy about a year ago with the clear goal of becoming the preferred chemical company to enable its customers’ green transformation.
Archroma becomes the exclusive global distributor of Fibre52®’s patented chemistry—advancing a new standard in sustainable processing. Combined with Archroma’s AVITERA® SE dyes, the partnership delivers the industry’s most resource-efficient bleach-and-dye systems.
The planned acquisition of the “Barmag” Division of OC Oerlikon will create the leading system provider worldwide for natural and man-made fibers. Rieter is confident it will receive all regulatory approvals to complete the acquisition in the fourth quarter of 2025. The Rieter Group is therefore adjusting its Group structure as of January 1, 2026, to take this acquisition into account and to be able to provide an even more agile response to market challenges.
The Better Cotton Initiative (BCI) has today announced a strategic agreement with Uzbekistan’s Light Industry Agency to increase financial support for cotton farming clusters adopting sustainable agricultural practices.
Kraig Biocraft Laboratories, Inc. (OTCQB: KBLB) (“Company” or “Kraig Labs”), a world leader in spider silk technology*, today announced that it is fulfilling an order for spider silk from a globally recognized performance sports apparel brand as part of a confidential pilot development program.
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Participants can now register online for the 38th International Cotton Conference Bremen, which will be held on 25-27 March 2026 at the Haus der Bürgerschaft parliament building on market square. All visitors can look forward to a high-calibre conference programme, numerous additional meetings and a valuable exchange of knowledge and information. The comprehensive range of topics covering the entire value chain will provide practical expertise, address current developments, answer key industry questions, and provide new impetus for the future.
The Government of Uzbekistan has allocated 55,000 hectares of land to implement a regenerative agriculture program for cotton as part of a collaborative project with the International Cotton Advisory Committee (ICAC) and Bizpando, a company with a a blockchain-based internet platform designed to ensure supply chain compliance.
G. Modiano Ltd and G. Schneider SpA announce that all of Schneider’s wool activities, except for those in Mongolia and South America, have joined Modiano.
Two years since the launch of its traceability solution, the Better Cotton Initiative (BCI) has announced that over 50% of BCI Cotton volumes entering global fashion and textile supply chains are now traceable, deriving from 15 countries.
As we prepare to turn the calendar on 2025, world cotton lint production currently is estimated to be about 25.4 million tonnes — roughly the same as the last season — surpassing the world cotton lint consumption by 392,000 tonnes.
Due to unforeseen circumstances arising from the recent developments in Tanzania, the ICAC has announced that its upcoming 83rd Plenary Meeting has been postponed. Scheduled for Nov. 17-20 in Mwanza, the delay was recommended by Tanzania, and the decision was made out of an abundance of caution, prioritizing the safety and well-being of all participants.
Washington, DC — The International Cotton Advisory Committee (ICAC) has released the 2025 World Cotton Trade Report, which covers trade developments in raw cotton since 1980. An annual publication, it provides analysis of world trade by region; import/export projections by country; matrices of trade flows; and seasonal estimates of export commitments to date.
There’s news from Uster Technologies to be announced for the industry’s upcoming event in Singapore. The Uster 360Q universe is growing with new products, solutions and services. Innovation developments can also be recorded in the fields of man-made fiber testing and fabric inspection. Uster innovations address the industry’s trending topics as mill management and process control, optimization of delivered fabric quality and yield.
The approval of the European Commission’s Omnibus I proposal by the European Parliament’s Committee on Legal Affairs, accepting controversial changes to key sustainability directives is of great concern. These changes, namely to the Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive (CSRD) and the Corporate Sustainability Due Diligence Directive (CSDDD), threaten to significantly dilute business reporting and due diligence obligations.
The ICAC has released the newest edition of the Specialty Cotton Report, a free publication that was created in 2023 to highlight the many new "identity cotton programs" that have been emerging around the world, in addition to covering long-staple (LS) and extra-long staple (ELS) cotton. For the ICAC's purposes, "specialty cotton" refers to any cotton that is remarkable in some way — LS, ELS, or falls under a specific identity program.
Taking place 11 – 13 March 2026 at the National Exhibition and Convention Center in Shanghai, Yarn Expo Spring 2026 is set to build on the exceptional success of the 2025 edition, which attracted nearly 24,000 visitors from 123 countries and regions. The show set a record with over 560 exhibitors showcasing their latest innovations. Notably, regenerated fibres and yarns drew the highest interest among visitors, with 57% sourcing in that category. Reflecting growing industry momentum, Yarn Expo Spring 2026 will continue to serve as a key global platform for driving sustainable development within the yarn and fibre sectors.
The Indian cotton jassid, Amrasca biguttula, has been a plague on the global cotton industry multiple times in recent years — in Iraq (2017), West Africa (2021–2022), Puerto Rico (2023) — and is now a serious concern for the United States and multiple other cotton-producing nations.
The Better Cotton Initiative (BCI) has launched an innovative product label for the fashion and textile sectors which allows retailer and brand members to provide consumers with greater clarity about the origin and percentage of BCI Cotton in their products.
COTTON USA™ strengthened its position as a global connector in sustainable U.S. cotton textile sourcing at its recent Sourcing Fair in Bangkok, Thailand, drawing over 300 top brand, retailer, manufacturer, and mill representatives from 13 countries.
With world cotton lint demand and supply metrics for 2025/26 remaining comparable to last month — production at 25.43 million tonnes and consumption at 25.4 million tonnes — the biggest development is in ending stocks, expected to be the lowest since 2011/12.
Fashion for Good, together with leading global brands BESTSELLER, C&A, PDS Limited, Reformation, and Target, launched Beyond50 Denim: Combining Cottonised Hemp and Green Chemistry, a project accelerating the use of hemp as an alternative to conventional cotton in denim. By combining two pioneering innovations (SEFF’s Nano-Pulse™ cottonised hemp fibres and FIBRE52™’s proprietary chemistry formulations with soft handfeel), the project seeks to demonstrate that hemp-based denim can match or even surpass cotton in both performance and appeal.
Textile Exchange has released its latest Materials Market Report, alongside the Materials Benchmark Insights and Trends and an updated Climate+ Dashboard. The findings highlight both record growth in global fiber production and the challenges of aligning the industry with Paris Agreement climate goals.
The Aid by Trade Foundation (AbTF) is opening public consultation on its Cotton made in Africa standard today. Interested parties will have 60 days to provide feedback, helping shape the future of one of the world’s largest standards for sustainable cotton. The latest update to the standard, Version 5.0, focusses on increasing Cotton made in Africa’s effectiveness and adapting its criteria and indicators to external factors, which currently include biodiversity loss and a growing set of reporting requirements for companies.
The Alliance for European Flax-Linen & Hemp is pleased to welcome CIRCULAR STRUCTURES, a Bremen-based platform for sustainable material development and product incubation, to its Technical Section. This addition further enhances the Alliance’s mission to accelerate the industrial adoption of European-grown flax and hemp fibres in high-performance composite applications.
Archroma, a global leader in specialty chemicals towards sustainable solutions, today launched SILIGEN® D2W LIQ C, the industry’s first truly durable silicone softener for cellulosic as well as cotton-lycra blended knits. Designed to keep the fabric soft and elastic for an extended usage, it is ideal for textile and fashion applications where long-lasting comfort and breathability are important, from undergarments and sleepwear to baby and children’s clothing, dresses and trousers, activewear, T-shirts and towels.
Better Cotton, the world’s largest cotton sustainability initiative, has teamed up with climate technology startup Planboo to help cotton farmers reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions – and earn carbon credits for it.
Cotton production estimates have decreased significantly since last month, dropping from 25.9 million tonnes to 25.5 million tonnes, while shifts in trade patterns and demands from retailers and brands are making cotton's origin increasingly important.
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.
Registration is now open for the International Cotton Advisory Committee's 83rd Plenary Meeting, to be held at the Malaika Beach Resort on the shores of Lake Victoria in Mwanza, Tanzania, from November 17-20, 2025.
In large parts of Central Asia, decades of cotton irrigation have led to severe soil salinisation, with serious consequences for soil fertility and the future of cotton cultivation. An international research consortium, including the Saxon Textile Research Institute (STFI), has therefore investigated the potential of alternative fibre plants. The focus was on Apocynum spp. (kendyr), a bast fibre plant that can thrive on saline soils. The aim: to restore the agricultural use of former cotton fields and establish new textile value chains in the region.
Better Cotton, the world’s largest cotton sustainability initiative, has reached 10 years of operations in the United States having built a vast community of licensed growers and collaborators across 17 states.
Better Cotton, the world’s largest cotton sustainability initiative, has announced significant progress in the delivery of its Uzbekistan programme, including the adoption of stronger and more refined approaches to due diligence and decent work activities.
Cotton Council International (CCI) joined nearly 400 industry leaders at the 2025 China International Cotton Conference in Guangzhou to engage in critical discussions on the future of cotton.
Cotton Council International (CCI) hosted its inaugural COTTON USA™ seminars in Ahmedabad and Hyderabad, highlighting the competitive advantages of U.S. cotton to nearly 100 representatives from Indian textile mills. The events are part of the growing collaboration between the U.S. cotton industry and India’s textile sector.
The 2025 annual conference of Better Cotton, the world’s largest cotton sustainability initiative, marked a new phase for the organisation, with the introduction of its new CEO, the announcement that it will become a regenerative standard, and the initial snapshot of its first US Impact Report.
Economic change and personnel decisions were the dominant themes on the agenda of the Annual General Assembly of the Bremen Cotton Exchange on 26 June 2025. During the meeting, the new Executive Committee and Board of Directors of the raw material association, which is now almost 153 years old, were elected. Fritz. A. Grobien will take over as President.
Better Cotton, the world’s largest cotton sustainability initiative, has announced that it will become a regenerative standard within the next year, further strengthening its ongoing commitment to protect and restore the environment and improve conditions for cotton farming communities around the world.
Cotton Incorporated today announced the launch of a reimagined CottonWorks™ website, an ambitious digital transformation designed to meet the evolving needs of today’s global textile professionals across every stage of the value chain. The new platform is more than a redesign – it is an intuitive, fashion-forward platform built to support compliance, product development, sourcing, and education across the textile industry.
Woolmark, the global authority on wool, has teamed up with COLOURizd™, pioneers in dry textile colouring processes, to introduce a revolutionary new method to colour wool and wool blends.
Better Cotton, the world’s largest cotton sustainability initiative, has announced Nick Weatherill as its new Chief Executive Officer (CEO). A former Executive Director of the International Cocoa Initiative (ICI), where he led efforts to drive impactful, scalable solutions across the cocoa supply chain, he replaces Alan McClay, who has been leading the not-for-profit organisation for the past decade.
In a powerful display of global collaboration, more than 255 industry leaders from 124 companies including over 41 top global brands and sourcing organizations gathered in Hong Kong on May 15 for Cotton ConneXions: Where Innovation Meets Opportunity, a one-day summit hosted by Cotton Incorporated. The event united the global cotton supply chain to discover innovations, recognize industry contributions, generate business orders, network, and address the challenges and opportunities shaping the fiber’s future amid regulatory shifts and evolving market dynamics.
The ICAC's 2025/26 season projections are holding steady as we begin June, with cotton production and consumption projected to be around 26 million tonnes and 25.7 million tonnes, respectively, while trade is forecasted to rebound to reach 9.7 million tonnes.
The International Cotton Advisory Committee (ICAC) is pleased to announce that Dr Charudatta Mayee, President of both the Cotton Association of India and the South Asia Biotech Center, has been named the 2025 ICAC Researcher of the Year, according to Dr Keshav Kranthi, Chief Scientist of the ICAC and himself a winner of the award in 2009.
The General Assembly of the Bremen Cotton Exchange will take place in Bremen and online on 26 June 2025. All members, partners and friends of the association are cordially invited to attend this important event.
On May 16, 2025, the workshop “Hemp for a Sustainable Future” was held in Izmir - a joint event organized by the Aegean Exporters’ Associations (EIB) and the Chamber of Textile Engineers Izmir (TMMOB). The aim of the workshop was to raise awareness among all stakeholders along the value chain - from hemp cultivation to final products - and to promote a deeper understanding of the diverse applications of this raw material in industry.
Paris, May 19 2025 : The Alliance for European Flax-Linen & Hemp is proud to spotlight a growing wave of innovative architectural and civil engineering applications featuring flax and hemp fibres. As the global construction industry turns toward sustainable solutions, flax and hemp are emerging as high-performance, low-impact alternatives for a new generation of bio-based architecture.
Uster, Switzerland, 15th May 2025 – Fiber quality measurement in spinning preparation is crucial for optimizing waste and meeting yarn quality specifications. The brand-new Uster AFIS 6 – the next-generation laboratory instrument from Uster Technologies – uniquely tests man-made fiber properties in addition to cotton. It provides critical data to optimize fiber process control for cotton, man-made fibers, and blended yarns.
Better Cotton, the world’s largest cotton sustainability initiative, has joined the Policy Hub, a Brussels-based coalition, to contribute to key EU policy discussions.
Fashion industry veteran and sustainability expert Liz Hershfield will lead Cotton Council International (CCI), the export promotion arm of the National Cotton Council of America (NCC), as its new Executive Director. Hershfield succeeds Bruce Atherley, who retired at the end of March.
When it comes to selecting the best fashion and home style pieces, quality matters. One key aspect that stands out among consumers is the choice of fabric, especially with cotton being a popular favorite for its comfort, durability, and sustainability. Whether it’s clothing or home textiles, the fiber label “cotton” signifies comfort and quality especially when looking for value per use in a down economy.
If a projected 7% increase in world cotton lint production to 25.8 million tonnes happens, the projected 2% increase in consumption to 25.5 million tonnes would mean the global market is heading toward a bearish outlook.
On the occasion of European Wool Day, Savio proudly presented the volume Textile Stories: Wool, Wednesday 9 April 2025, in the evocative setting of Cascina Era in Sandigliano (Biella).
The reference agro-industrial organisation for the sector, is accelerating its sustainable transformation trajectory.
The Alliance of European Flax-Linen & Hemp is pleased to announce a positive outlook for the 2024 flax harvest. As the flax pulling period commences, the industry is optimistic due to favorable weather conditions that provide an ideal context for the upcoming harvest.
Panda Biotech™ announced today that commercial operations have officially begun at the Panda Hemp Gin, their landmark industrial hemp processing facility in Wichita Falls, Texas. The focus of the operation is on providing five main product lines from hemp, including mechanically cottonized fiber, decorticated fiber, hurd (cellulose), short-fiber/hurd mix, and nutrient-rich micronized hemp dust. The innumerous applications for each product vary broadly from consumer and industrial textiles, non-wovens, paper products, bioplastics, biofuel, animal bedding, fiberglass substitute, construction materials such as hempcrete, mulch, insulation, and more.
The Alliance for European Flax-Linen & Hemp will continue to expand its partnership with JEC Group, hosting a Natural Fibre Village at JEC World 2024 that will showcase the activities of the Alliance and ten of its members in an enlarged 250m2 area dedicated to natural fibre composites.
