#Raw Materials

2019-12-02

Traceability is a critical need, but plotting the path forward remains a challenge

The ability to identify the source of cotton and verify its path through the supply chain is a growing need because consumers today are increasingly interested in the social and environmental impact of their purchasing decisions.

Consumers today are increasingly demanding information on the origin and history of the products they buy, putting pressure on retailers to provide transparency

Multiple technologies have the potential to provide that traceability, including blockchain and a host of products from private companies

Implementing traceability technologies carries a cost for businesses — but the cost of a damaged reputation for companies that don’t provide it might be higher

‘Traceability’, then, is a backward look at the origin and history of a given item — which is somewhat ironic, because what most industries need to achieve traceability is a peek at the future to show them how to get there.

That challenge is the primary reason the International Cotton Advisory Committee (ICAC) dedicated both a morning and an afternoon session to the topic on the opening day of its 78th Plenary Meeting.

The two-part session was chaired by Dr Steve Hatfield-Dodds, Executive Director of the Australian Bureau of Agricultural and Resource Economics and Sciences, and Allan Williams, General Manager of R & D Investment for Australia’s Cotton Research & Development Corporation.

The extended session, which had two 90-minute sessions, covered a wide range of topics:

In her presentation entitled, ‘Getting started with Blockchain’, Emma Weston, CEO and Co-founder of AgriDigital, said that agriculture is the least digitised industry in the world, characterised by tight margins and fragmented supply chains. ‘Right now, traceability is more of an aspiration than a reality’, she said. But Blockchain — a peer-to-peer distributed ledger technology — is a potential solution for a host of reasons, including the fact that users access shared databases; transactions are immutable and approved by network consensus; and transactions are timestamped and recorded in ‘blocks’ that are linked and cryptographically secured.

Alan McClay, CEO of the Better Cotton Initiative, stated that the supply chain is generally opaque to most companies, but that pressure is on companies to demonstrate traceability as a component of their sustainability strategy, with little regard for the associated costs. Despite the pressure, he explained, ‘in any kind of sustainability initiative, there’s a cost. And until stakeholders are willing to make that investment — or governments mandate it — we need to be as pragmatic as possible, moving forward’.

During the roundtable discussion in the afternoon, an expert panel discussed some of the better-known traceability technology companies, including Oritain, Applied DNA Sciences, and FibreTrace. Jannice Cameron-Chapital, Chief Marketing Officer of Himatsingka America, also discussed the needs of brands and retailers, saying, ‘When consumers buy a brand, they’re buying trust’ — and brands that break that trust could suffer irrevocable damage to their reputations.

The ICAC’s 78th Plenary Meeting is being held 2-5 December in Brisbane, Australia, with the theme, ‘Global Leadership: Pushing Cotton’s Boundaries’.

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.

AMSilk and Ajinomoto Foods Europe expand partnership to enable industrial-scale production of silk proteins

AMSilk GmbH (“AMSilk”), a global leader leader in biotech produced silk materials, today announced a significant expansion of its partnership with Ajinomoto Foods Europe (AFE), marking a key step in scaling the industrial production of its silk proteins. Building on the collaboration first established in 2023, the two companies have now entered into a long-term manufacturing and supply agreement, enabling the transition from industrial validation to dedicated, large-scale production.

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.

Rieter sees Barmag integration on track as orders and sales rise

The first half of 2026 was shaped by the successful completion of the largest acquisition in Rieter’s history. The Man-Made Fiber Division enables entry into the growth segment of man-made fibers and sustainably strengthens Rieter’s market position in the Asia region. The expanded Group is now the world’s leading system supplier for the processing of natural and man-made fibers. In the first half of the year, initial cost savings in material costs and operating expenses have already been realized. The targeted synergies are expected to amount to at least CHF 20 million by the end of the 2028 financial year. Due to the completion of the acquisition on February 2, 2026, the first half of the year for the Man-Made Fiber Division only amounts to five months.

C&S strengthens its governance to support its evolution

C&S announces the appointment of Marco Lucietti to its Board of Directors. With extensive international experience across the textile and denim industries, Lucietti will work alongside CEO Federico Corneli, contributing to the company’s managerial development, organizational structure and long-term strategic direction.