Dear #TruthTuesday fans, Time sure flies when you speak #TruthAboutCotton, and we now find ourselves at the end of 2024. There are lots of myths and misunderstandings about cotton to bust, but it’s time to take a break and recharge so we can resume the fight with gusto in 2025. Thank you for your support this year, and for helping to spread the good word about cotton. One change we’ll be introducing next year is a regular guest #TruthTuesday post submitted by someone in the cotton textile value chain. After all, #TruthTuesday isn’t an ICAC initiative — it belongs to everyone! We all benefit when accurate information about cotton reaches new people, so if you have a #Truth you want to share, contact ICAC Communications Director Mike McCue (mike@icac.org) to arrange a guest post. We’re looking at you, cotton scientists … and you, farmers … you too, ginners, merchants, spinners, and everyone who touches cotton between the seed and the end of life for cotton products. We’re all in this together, so share your knowledge and help people understand how critical cotton is to poverty alleviation, carbon sequestration, women’s empowerment, and so much more. With that in mind, it’s fitting that the final #TruthTuesday post of 2024 is a look back at the first-ever guest post, submitted by Eimear McDonagh of Agri Direct on behalf of the Australian cotton industry. https://lnkd.in/e5mNwgb8 She set the bar high for guest #TruthTuesday authors, but there is a lot of good information about cotton out there. Share some of yours with the world in 2025! And with that, #TruthTuesday is #out for 2024. Best wishes to all of you and your families for a safe and happy new years, cotton fans. Be safe out there and see you next month.
International Cotton Advisory Committee (ICAC)
Research Services
Washington, District of Columbia 7,469 followers
Serving the cotton and textile community through promotion, knowledge sharing, innovation, partnerships and discussion.
About us
Formed in 1939, the ICAC is an association of cotton producing, consuming and trading countries. It acts as a catalyst for change by helping member countries maintain a healthy world cotton economy; provides transparency to the world cotton market by serving as a clearinghouse for technical information on cotton production; and serves as a forum for discussing cotton issues of international significance. The ICAC does not have a role in setting market prices or in intervening in market mechanisms. Member Benefits When countries become members of the ICAC, they give their Governments a voice in the most important discussions about international cotton issues. Members receive enhanced access to research from the world’s premier source of unbiased information about the global cotton industry, and they are also able to participate in cutting-edge cotton research and development initiatives. Scientists from member countries also can apply for the ICAC Research Associate Program, an annual training curriculum for up to 14 researchers.
- Website
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http://www.icac.org
External link for International Cotton Advisory Committee (ICAC)
- Industry
- Research Services
- Company size
- 2-10 employees
- Headquarters
- Washington, District of Columbia
- Type
- Nonprofit
- Founded
- 1939
- Specialties
- Cotton Statistics, Cotton Research, Imports and Exports, Cotton Textiles, Sustainability, Cotton Promotion, International Trade, Intergovernmental Relations, and Traceability
Locations
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Primary
1629 K St NW
Washington, District of Columbia, US
Employees at International Cotton Advisory Committee (ICAC)
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Eric Trachtenberg (莊孟德)
Executive Director, International Cotton Advisory Committee (ICAC)
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Mike McCue
Director of Communications
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Dr Muhammad Tehseen Azhar
Norman E. Borlaug Fellow|Associate Professor at University of Agriculture Faisalabad, Pakistan
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Lorena Ruiz
Economist at the International Cotton Advisory Committee (ICAC)
Updates
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Thanks to just-style.com | The apparel industry news & information site for engaging International Cotton Advisory Committee (ICAC) for input on the article. It's clear there are some hurdles facing the global cotton textile value chain, but as noted, they can be overcome with dedication and innovation. And they will be — because they have to be. No one wants to think about #AWorldWithoutCotton.
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Kudos to Bremen for putting the spotlight on #WorldSoilDay! Healthy soils are not just important for growing fiber, they are also the key to food security for all of us — rich or poor, no matter where you live. Cotton is a powerful ally in the effort to restore nutrients and increase biodiversity in our soils.
🐜World Soil Day 🐜 Today, on World Soil Day, we would like to draw your attention to an interesting project by the ICAC! In cotton cultivation, soil quality and the associated fertility and health of the soil play a key role. For this reason, the International Cotton Advisory Committee (ICAC) has carried out an ambitious research project on this topic in collaboration with various international partner organisations. The aim is to help cotton producers to achieve better, higher quality crop yields in healthy soil and, at the same time, contribute to climate protection with traditional, sustainable agricultural methods for soil cultivation that have been used for years. Biochar, bokashi and jeevamrit are important components of proven methods for soil improvement. They are inexpensive to produce and, when combined and mixed, they offer effective solutions for restoring quality-reduced soils. What are these? 🌱 Biochar is produced burning the cotton stalks left over from the harvest. The ICAC team discovered that biochar is particularly useful for improving acidic soils due to its high pH value. 🌱 Bokashi is a type of compost originating from Japan that is traditionally produced through a fermentation process using kitchen waste, agricultural residues and effective microorganisms. It has a highly acidic pH value, which makes it an ideal material for balancing the alkalinity of biochar. 🌱 Jeevamrit is a traditional Indian method that provides soils with a variety of microorganisms. The production, which involves processing cow dung and sugarcane molasses, provides a rich source of beneficial microbes that improve nutrient availability and promote soil regeneration. Over the past three years, training courses on regenerative agriculture have been held in Africa, India and Bangladesh. The programmes have made the production techniques accessible to smallholder farmers in particular. Learn more here: https://lnkd.in/eMtq6NyD #worldsoilday #cotton #bremencottonexchange Photo: BBB with Adobe Firefly
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A very valuable ally has joined the Fight for Fiber Fairness! The way Brazil has transformed its cotton industry over the last decade is nothing short of remarkable. 👍 #MakeTheLabelCount #cotton
We are delighted to welcome Abrapa - Associação Brasileira dos Produtores de Algodão and as a consequence Cotton Brazil to the Make the Label Count coalition. As a globally recognized organization committed to sustainable #cotton production, their expertise and leadership will strengthen our collective voice and effort to ensure fair and credible sustainability claims for natural fibres. Alexandre Schenkel, President of ABRAPA shares that "the current PEFCR for apparel unfairly favours fossil-fuel synthetics over natural fibres, contradicting the Green Claims Directive’s goal of credible and reliable standards. By joining the Make the Label Count coalition, we’re committed to ensuring fair and sustainable labelling before these rules become European law."
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Welcome to #TruthTuesday, cotton fans! The holidays are coming soon, and that means many people will be giving gifts of clothing and apparel — so let’s take a look at textiles. Today's #Truth: The textiles trade has ballooned from $959 billion in 2004 to $1.6 trillion in 2023. Textile exports, for example, have shown a remarkable journey over the course of those two decades, rising from $482 billion in 2004 and peaking at $958 million before declining slightly to $876 billion in 2023. Despite challenges like COVID, supply chain disruptions, geopolitical tensions, and low consumer purchasing power due to macroeconomic factors, the global textile value chain continues to thrive and innovate. The ICAC’s 23 member countries play a huge role in textiles, accounting for more than $1 trillion of trade annually — about $450 billion in exports and $550 billion in imports. And we're working to do much more. There is so much potential revenue for cotton exporters to gain! As a rule of thumb, for example, every $1 earned in raw cotton exports would be worth $10 if that fiber were converted into finished goods like clothing and apparel before being exported. The goal is to help cotton-rich countries transform into cotton-textile-rich countries. Consumers prefer the luxurious feel of cotton, but its market share has been declining because polyester is so much cheaper. But is it really? Just think of all the benefits we would lose without a healthy global cotton industry — poverty alleviation, empowering women, sequestering carbon, biodegrading, strengthening our soils, and more. #TruthTuesday says if we turn away from cotton and other natural fibers in favor of synthetics, it is going to extract a very heavy price from all of us — and much of that price will be paid by our children and grandchildren. Buy cotton. Wear cotton. #TruthAboutCotton
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Hey reality fans, it’s time for another #TruthTuesday, and this time, we’re going to brag about ourselves a little bit. Today’s #Truth: There are only seven intergovernmental commodity bodies recognized by the United Nations, and the ICAC is the only one representing cotton. We decided to talk about the ICAC this week because yesterday, we released the Final Statement from our 82nd Plenary Meeting in Tashkent, Uzbekistan. Before joining the ICAC, #TruthTuesday is embarrassed to admit it didn’t know what a “Final Statement” is — or what a “plenary meeting” is, for that matter! 🤣 A #FinalStatement is a theme-based summary of the sessions and discussions held during a conference. For example, multiple sessions addressed cotton's role in fighting climate change; those findings were condensed into a one-paragraph overview in the Final Statement. A #PlenaryMeeting, meanwhile, is one in which all participants are present to ensure major decisions are made collectively and inclusively. The ICAC’s most consequential decisions each year are made during the Plenary Meeting, which is why plenary sessions mean “all hands on deck.” Essentially, the Final Statement from our 82nd Plenary Meeting is a high-level summary of all the major topics discussed during the conference. So if you want to see a 2,000-word summary of our four-day event, here’s where you’ll find it: https://t.co/xH1p2zHPxt Bonus fact: The ICAC was founded in 1939, meaning it’s actually six years older than the United Nations. 😲 #TruthAboutCotton
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The International Cotton Advisory Committee (ICAC) has released the Final Statement from its 82nd Plenary Meeting, which was held in Tashkent, Uzbekistan, from September 30 to October 3, 2024. The Final Statement is now being translated into Arabic, French, Russian, and Spanish; the documents will be posted on http://icac.org in the coming days. A Plenary Meeting Final Statement is a theme-based summary of the sessions and discussions held during the conference. For example, multiple sessions addressed cotton's role in fighting climate change; those findings were condensed into a one-paragraph summary in the Final Statement. If you read to the very end, you'll discover a major announcement there: The ICAC has accepted Tanzania's offer to host the 83rd Plenary Meeting during the second or third week of November 2025! The venue and exact dates will be announced soon. To view the Final Statement of the 82nd Plenary Meeting, please click here: https://lnkd.in/e8tvJKKF
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Way to go, Eric! He will help people understand that cotton isn’t part of the climate change problem — it’s a critical part of the solution!
🌍 Join us at COP29 Azerbaijan! 🌍 We are thrilled to announce that GP Cotton Holdings will be hosting a panel discussion on the Better Cotton in the Blue Zone at the Azerbaijan Pavilion during COP29 on November 14th from 10:00 to 11:00. Moderated by John Young Simpson, Chairman of GP Cotton Holdings, this session will dive into the critical role the Better Cotton plays in promoting sustainable cotton production and advancing climate-conscious agriculture across the globe. 🗓 Date: November 14th ⏰ Time: 10:00 - 11:00 📍 Location: Blue Zone, Azerbaijan Pavilion #GPCOTTON, #primecotton, #giltex,#SustainableCotton, #SustainableTextiles, #FromDirtToShirt #BetterCotton #UNFCCC, #COP29, #foodsystems, #EnhanceAmbitionAndEnableAction
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Thank you for your patience while we recovered from a minor illness, #TruthTuesday fans. It seems appropriate at this time to take a look at how cotton performs in medical applications, so here we go! Today’s #Truth: Cotton has been used in medicine for centuries because offers many benefits that other fibers simply can’t match. For starters, research has shown consumers prefer the feel of cotton to synthetic fibers — and when you’re already sick or in pain, a little bit of comfort means a lot! Cotton is also hypoallergenic, which means it’s very unlikely to cause any type of allergic reaction. Cotton is used for bandages because it is highly absorbent, controls bleeding, maintains a dry surgical field, promotes wound healing and is tolerant of the primary sterilization methods (steam, ethylene oxide, and gamma radiation). It also performs well with anti-inflammatories. We tell the #Truth here, so we must acknowledge that because it absorbs water, cotton textiles can promote bacterial and fungal growth. But it’s easy to treat cotton with antimicrobial agents, including cutting-edge nanotechnologies that provide a "suit of armor" for textiles. So there you have it! Cotton provides comfort in your towels and sheets, style and performance in your wardrobe, and helps get you back on your feet if you are sick or injured. #TruthAboutCotton