Cotton news

Ben Egan, sixth generation cotton producer in Central West New South Wales Australia, shows how Australian producers use precision farming techniques to ensure there is a future in cotton farming for generations to come.

The Cotton LEADS℠ Program hosted a Partner Lunch in Hong Kong on May 21. The lunch offered partners from the region a unique opportunity to meet cotton producers and founders from Australia and the United States and offer ideas or concerns in an open discussion.

Dahlen Hancock, a Texas cotton producer and Cotton Council International (CCI) First Vice President, emphasized the U.S. cotton industry’s responsible production practices through a presentation at the COTTON USA Retail and Marketing Leadership Summit, held in Berlin in March.

Responsible cotton production has been at the forefront of Australia’s cotton industry for two decades. Last week all of the major players came together to share research and data and discuss new opportunities in the marketing of cotton produced for the Cotton LEADS program.

Cotton Australia chose Australian Fashion Week as the venue to unveil Cotton LEADS to Australian designers, retailers and brand owners today. As part of a seminar looking at current trends in international design and retailing strategy, Cotton Australia’s Brooke Summers spoke to around 100 industry insiders about the story of Cotton LEADS and what it hopes to achieve in lifting the standards of cotton production around the world.

The facts about cotton’s water use presented at the 2014 International Cotton Conference Bremen Without question fresh water resources are over allocated in many parts of the world where demand exceeds sustainable supply. Because cotton is a drought and heat tolerant crop, it is often grown in areas where water is limited.

60+ brands partner with Cotton Australia, Cotton Incorporated and other US partners to recognize responsible cotton production. Just over two months after its launch, more than 60 textile companies have formally acknowledged the merits of Cotton LEADS℠ cotton and now include it within their sustainable sourcing guidelines.

Adam Kay, CEO of Cotton Australia, and J. Berrye Worsham, President and CEO of Cotton Incorporated, present the Cotton LEADS℠ program. Cotton LEADS℠ is a joint program of the Australian cotton industry and the United States cotton industry to promote the awareness of responsible cotton production both countries.