#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.

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.

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.

New spinning package with two-step filtration for recycled yarns and more

At the ITM in Istanbul, BB Engineering unveiled its new, patented ValuePack spinning package for the first time, which features a two-stage filtration system. This is particularly beneficial for re-cycling processes. Until now, spinning packs have used either metal powder (“sand”) or filter candles as filter media. Both options are suitable for differ-ent applications, and each has its own specific advantages and dis-advantages.

ITMA 2027 gains strong momentum

In line with the theme "Co-creating the future of textiles", ITMA continues to strengthen its support for start-ups, recognising their role in driving innovation and shaping the future of textile and garment manufacturing. Through the Start-Up Valley, emerging companies gain access to a global marketplace where they can connect with industry leaders, potential partners, investors and customers.

Mongolia: Workshop on Italian textile technologies kicks off in Ulaanbaatar

The workshop dedicated to Italian textile technologies will kick off in Ulaanbaatar from 21 to 23 June 2026. Focused on the most advanced innovative solutions for the textile industry, the initiative will bring together 13 Italian textile machinery manufacturers, confirming the growing interest in strengthening industrial cooperation between the two countries and highlighting Mongolia’s strategic importance for Italian textile machinery producers.