CCI celebrates first virtual Cotton Day in India

The
Cotton Council International (CCI), along with the leadership of the US cotton
industry, organised the first ever virtual Cotton Day India 2020 themed
‘Leading through change: Your partner for a new world’. The virtual event, featured
eminent speakers and panelists from the Indian textile industry, US Department
of Agriculture, National Cotton Council of America (NCC), Supima and CCI,
focused on the outlook for the global cotton industry, opportunities for the
Indian cotton textile industry and the need for leadership during the time of crisis.

Cotton
Day India 2020 included discussions on some of the most pressing topics facing
the cotton industry in India and globally, with sustainability taking
CenterStage. In a Covid-19 era, with the onus now on brands and their supply
chain partners to demonstrate their environmental credentials, coupled with
greater supply chain scrutiny and demand for traceability, most panelists agreed
that sustainability in cotton production aligned with U.N. sustainability goals
is the way forward for the industry as a whole. The keynote address on Indian
cotton update was delivered by Lazaro
Sandoval, Senior Agricultural Attaché, USDA Foreign Agricultural Service (FAS).
Also pressing on the importance of leadership through crisis, sustainability
and retail scenario post Covid-19 was addressed by Michael Duke, former CEO Wal-Mart.

Speaking
about Cotton Day India 2020, CCI
Executive Director Bruce Atherley said, “India is an important trade
partner for US cotton with every second bale imported into the country being
produced in the US. One of the key factors for this is ‘trust’ associated with
US cotton. Quality, transparency, sustainability and the premium value of US
cotton fibre has created a preference for US cotton. We are also the first
country in the world to High-Volume Instrument (HVI) test 100 per cent of the
bales to ensure that clients/mills get what they order. As the world grapples with
COVID-19, we are seeing a steady increase in customers demanding more
sustainable products.”

Atherley
added, “To enable mills and manufacturers to combat these pre-existing and more
recent pressures, COTTON USATM recently introduced its new, game-changing
COTTON USA SOLUTIONSTM technical consultancy programme. With access to our
first-of-its-kind industry initiative, businesses can equip themselves with the
resources, data and opportunities they need for next-level success and
profitability.”

According
to Gary Adams, President, US Cotton
Trust Protocol, “The Trust Protocol has set new standards for sustainable
cotton production by bringing quantifiable and verifiable goals and measurement
mapped to six key sustainability metrics – land use, soil carbon, water
management, soil loss, greenhouse gas emissions, and energy efficiency.”

Peush Narang, CCI’s India
representative added, “The US cotton industry has a history of strong relationship
with India. For year 2019, cotton was the second highest exported agricultural
commodity from US to India. The United States is India’s largest exporting
partner for cotton apparel. Global brands and retailers

have
always looked up to India for textile products, especially made from cotton. US
cotton has been the first choice whenever mills need to export high quality
yarns. India has been amongst the top two users of Supima, an extra-long staple
cotton grown in the US.”

The
key industry partners to Cotton Day India 2020 event included the US Cotton
Trust Protocol, Supima, Cotton Incorporated and Oritain.