ICAC meeting reveals need for united front on cotton
The 72nd plenary meeting of the International Cotton Advisory Committee (ICAC) used its first open session to address what it claims to be the cotton industry's single greatest threat: synthetic fibres.
During the session, which was entitled "Inter-fibre Competition: Meeting the Challenges of Competing Fibres," the expert panel identified three primary areas of concern that are impacting cotton's long-term ability to succeed in the marketplace: price volatility, as natural fibres are less stable pricewise than their synthetic counterparts; quality control, as cotton characteristics can vary greatly from one bale to the next; and loss of market share to synthetic competitors.
The key to reversing loss of market share, according to Kevin Latner, president of Cotton Council International, is unified messaging aimed at consumers.
"We know that consumers prefer cotton, but we need to do a better job of communicating the social and environmental benefits of natural fibres to them directly," he said during his presentation.
"The more knowledgeable consumers are, the better. However, labels in many parts of the world don't show what materials an item is made from, so even though consumers prefer cotton, they don't always know what they're buying."
Fortunately, he concluded, several organisations, for example the International Forum for Cotton Promotion (IFCP), are in a good position to unify and disseminate the cotton industry's message to consumers.
The plenary meeting is taking place in Cartagena, Colombia, from September 29 to October 4.
