Cotton Council International Celebrates Second Virtual Cotton Day India

Cotton Council International (CCI), along with the leadership of the U.S. cotton industry, held the second virtual Cotton Day India. This year’s Cotton Day India once again focused on the need for sustainability and transparency in the industry and how companies could use it to create and drive value for all stakeholders.

The virtual event featured eminent speakers and panelists from USDA FAS U.S. Embassy New Delhi, the U.S. cotton industry and allied companies that support the industry with traceability solutions.

Speaking at the event, CCI Executive Director Bruce Atherley said, “Brands today are increasingly becoming more responsible in their sourcing strategies. Sustainability and transparency are no longer optional. Leading brands today are mapping their supply chains all the way back to spinning mills and are looking for supply chain partners they can trust; it’s not just about cost.”

Peush Narang, CCI Country Representative – India and Sri Lanka, added, “The Indian cotton industry stands at a critical point today, Thanks to cotton, we are seeing a significant recovery in Indian textile industry. We are seeing increased traction for the U.S. Cotton Trust Protocol, the U.S. cotton industry’s sustainability program, and COTTON USA SOLUTIONS™, our technical consultancy program. U.S. cotton remains the most preferred fiber when it comes to the cotton imported in India.”

Cotton Day India 2021 featured insightful sessions on what the industry can do as a whole to increase sustainability as well as what brands and retailers are looking for from the industry. It also featured discussions on what can be done to enhance sustainability and transparency in the textile supply chains that will enable brand and retailers to make more informed choices. Sessions also included the latest updates from CCI as well as industry guidelines on how COTTON USA SOLUTIONS^TM best practices could be adopted in Indian textile mills to help increase profitability.

CCI Chairman Ricky Clarke delivered the welcome address and Ron Verdonk, Minister-Counselor, FAS USDA U.S. Embassy, New Delhi, gave the keynote address during which he stressed the importance of India as a global trade partner to the U.S.

Steve Dyer, Head of Global Marketing, Louis Dreyfus Cotton, presented a global cotton economic outlook which highlighted that India will be a significant driver to increase demand for global cotton consumption.

Joe Little, Head of Technical: Fabric, Colour, Sustainability & Garment Technology, Tesco PLC, presented a brand/retailer perspective of the U.S. Cotton Trust Protocol, while Andrew Winston, Business Consultant & Founder of Winston Eco-Strategies spoke of how smart companies are using sustainability to create value. The key industry partners of Cotton Day India 2021 also included participation from Oritain and Textile Genesis with a focus on transparency solutions.

About Cotton Council International 

Cotton Council International (CCI), the export promotion arm of the National Cotton Council of America (NCC), is a non-profit trade association that promotes U.S. cotton fiber and produces cotton products around the globe with our COTTON USA trademark. CCI has 60 years of experience promoting U.S. cotton fiber and products to trade and consumers.

CCI works with spinning mills, fabric and garment manufacturers, brands, retailers, textile associations, governments and the USDA to facilitate the use of U.S. cotton. Its reach extends to more than 50 countries through 20 offices around the world.

U.S Cotton Trust Protocol

In a period of ever greater supply chain scrutiny and a growing demand for transparency and traceability, The U.S Cotton Trust Protocol sets a new standard for more sustainable grown cotton. The Trust Protocol is aligned with existing sustainability programs including the U.N. Sustainable Development Goals. It brings quantifiable and verifiable goals and measurement to sustainable cotton production and drives continuous improvement in six key sustainability metrics – land use, soil carbon, water management, soil loss, greenhouse gas emissions, and energy efficiency. The Trust Protocol is designed from the ground up to address the unique regulatory and larger farm growing environment of the United States.