Brand engagement will help transparency in cotton supply chain
A total of 700 delegates attended the International Cotton Association’s annual event. The 2023 event took place in Singapore on October 11 and 12.
The event featured keynote speeches from Joe Nicosia of the Louis Dreyfus Company, Sunny Verghese from Olam International, Michael Every from RaboResearch, and a panel session on women in cotton, which focused on traceable supply chains.
Outgoing president of the ICA, Tim North, said this focus on traceability was important. He said: “In this brave, new and rapidly evolving world of sustainability, traceability and transparency, the whole chain is becoming more translucent, [but] there have been and continue to exist what can be described as ‘walls’ between the various segments of our industry.”
He said a new brand and retail committee that the ICA had formed had he helped address this, with prominent brands and retailers from Europe and North America taking part in meetings. “Our discussions were engaging and productive,” Mr North said. “This is an ongoing and evolving process.”
Next year, the ICA will hold its annual event in Liverpool, where the organisation has its headquarters. The event will take place on October 16 and 17.
