The following articles were featured on the IFCP homepage.
Welcome to our Site
Welcome to the Journal of the International Forum for Cotton Promotion's ninth Cotton Promotion Bulletin. Take a few minutes to browse the site through this map in order to familiarize yourself with it.
Common Thread Trailer
A few months back “Auteur Mark” released a teaser for their upcoming documentary, Common Thread. They have now released a new full-length trailer. It’s a film about cotton how it brings the world together. This film has been an opportunity for me to investigate and look deeper into the cotton industry. The problems, the cure, what works, what doesn’t, and how we can save this precious natural fiber that has been a part of our lives for more than 6000 years now, which is now on a decline!
Revisiting the Relationship between Cotton, Polyester and Oil Prices
One important implication for the cotton industry is that while price competitiveness can temporarily increase industrial demand for cotton, the gains from this strategy are rapidly eroded by their tendency to maintain equilibrium with polyester prices. Therefore, cotton promotion and demand enhancement efforts on the demand side, along with research and extension efforts to improve cotton yields and cotton fiber quality on the supply side, are the most promising strategies to increase the market share of cotton in textile fiber consumption in the long run. – Dr. Alejandro S. Plastina, ICAC Secretariat
It’s a Jeans World: Doing it with Denim
World Textile Report Cover Story, by Charlotte Sine, Cotton International magazine, March 2010. It’s really no mystery why some of our most useful inventions have roots that date back hundreds of years. After all, necessity is the mother of invention. Consider denim, a fabric that dates back to the Middle Ages and has since become is the single largest consumer of cotton, accounting for approximately 14 percent of cotton consumption worldwide. In 2007, the denim and jeans market worldwide topped US$52 billion and is projected to grow to US$56 billion by 2014.
Cotton’s Share of World Textile Fiber Use Continues to Decline
World textile fiber consumption more than quadrupled between the early 1960s and the late 2000s. However, while cotton consumption more than doubled during that period, consumption of other fibers (wool, chemical and non-chemical synthetic fibers) increased sevenfold. Consequently, the market share of cotton decreased from an average of 62.4% in the 1960s to 39.5% in the 2000s. By Alejandro Plastina, ICAC. Presented at the Third Breakout Session of the 68th ICAC Plenary Meeting: Enhancing Demand for Cotton Products, September 9, 2009.
Cottons Share of World Textile Fiber Use to Decline in 2008 and 2009
World textile fiber consumption more than tripled over the last 5 decades. However, while cotton consumption increased one-and-a-half times during that period to reach 26.4 million tons in 2007, other fibers (wool, chemical and non-chemical synthetic fibers) increased eight times to reach 45.7 million tons. Consequently, the market share of cotton decreased from an average of 62.4% in the 1960s to 39.8% in the 2000s. Over the last three decades, the market share of cotton at retail only increased in advanced economies, and declined in developing economies and Central and Eastern Europe and the former USSR. By Alejandro Plastina, ICAC. Presented at the IFCP Session on Cotton Promotion: A Call to Action, 67th ICAC Plenary Meetings, November 19, 2008.
International Year of Natural Fibers (IYNF)
Producers and processors of natural fibres face the challenge of developing and maintaining markets in which they can compete effectively with synthetics. In some cases, this has involved defining and promoting market niches. In others, where their natural advantages allow them to compete effectively with synthetics, basic research and development is needed to facilitate the use of natural fibres in new applications. The main goal of the International Year of Natural Fibres is to raise the profile of these fibres and to emphasise their value to consumers while helping to sustain the incomes of the farmers.
Prospects for Cotton Promotion
The last few years have been a period of considerable change in the cotton industry. Both cotton production and consumption are persistently shifting to Asia. Europe and the U.S. must conform to this changing trend; such changes of course result in a modified flow of goods, but they also accelerate the new phenomena of companies shifting eastward. Countries such as China, India and Pakistan are growing in importance as their markets now dominate global demand and supply numbers. African countries are also fighting for their place in this evolving system. With growing demand, the cotton industry is confronted with an important opportunity for development and marketing in these countries. IFCP Chairman Zbigniew Roskwitalski on growing demand through sustainability. Originally published in Cotton International Annual’s January 2009 issue.
2009 International Year of Natural Fibers
Every actor in the natural fibers value added chain (farmers, processors, manufacturers, traders, retailers and consumers) is expected to benefit from the International Year of Natural Fibers, particularly farmers and natural fibers exporting countries. The FAO believes that there will be environmental and health benefits in consuming as well as producing countries stemming from increased awareness and increased use of natural fibers. By Brian Moir and Alejandro Plastina. Originally published in Cotton: Review of the World Situation, International Cotton Advisory Committee, Volume 61 - Number 6, July-August 2008.
Keeping Cotton in High Demand
The consumer still has a choice, between cotton and many other fibers, and the industry and its supporting organizations must keep working to help them make the good choice of cotton. A key factor in any promotion is positioning your product so it can be identified by consumers. The product's key features need to be well-known. Even though cotton is the preferred fiber worldwide, increased promotion and education will only help products sell more quickly and at greater volumes and values. By Anna Mullins. Originally published in the August 2008 issue of Cotton International magazine.
How About Organic Polyester?
With all of the challenges facing today's cotton growers, none is more pressing than figuring out a way to receive a premium price for cotton produced. By this, I mean a real premium value, not some inflation-spiked price. To better understand the importance of building true value for today's grower, I'd like to suggest that all current industry initiatives to market conventional cotton to the global textile industry miss the point. It's not a question of if cotton is a superior product, but rather it's a question of how effective cotton's marketing is. By Robert P. Antoshak, President of the Globecot Division of FCStone LLC. Originally published in the August 2008 issue of Cotton International magazine.
Supima opens a pop-up store in NYC
In its 54-year history, Supima, the Phoenix-headquartered marketing and promotion company representing U.S. pima cotton growers, has enjoyed award-winning ad campaigns, any number of prestigious co-sponsorships, and even–beginning last year–PREFAB, its own textile trade show here at Gotham Hall. But, as of Friday, March 14, it's been in the international news for another way to take its brand message about superior strength and softness directly to consumers: The Supima pop-up store that opened here at 72 Greene Street in SoHo.
Demand Enhancement Session
The IFCP conducted a session on demand enhancement during a production conference in the Room Lago Azul adjacent to the 65th ICAC Plenary Meeting in Goiânia, Brazil. Participants in the session agreed that there are many techniques that can be employed to promote and raise the profile and consciousness of cotton and cotton products that are relatively inexpensive, and appropriate for most countries.
Working with Higher Education to Promote Cotton
To begin with, imagine this scenario. You have the opportunity to meet with about 50 potential customers from all over the world every year, introduce yourself to them, get to know the way they think, listen to their concerns, and even influence the way they will do business. You have the ability to do that rather simply, and you have the ability to plant the seeds of a mutually productive relationship that can benefit you for years to come. This speech was delivered at Bayer Crop Science's Fibermax 2006, Singapore on June 27, 2006 by Jeffrey Silberman, Executive Director of the IFCP, and Chairperson of the Textile Development and Marketing Department at the Fashion Institute of Technology (FIT).
The IFCP in its Fifth Year Moving Forward
This speech was delivered at the 8th International Cotton Conference, Gdansk, Poland on September 23, 2005 by Dr. Sebahattin Gazanfer, Chairman of the IFCP, and authored by Jeffrey Silberman, Executive Director.
More: View article as printed in the January 2006 issue of Cotton Bangladesh
Polyester, the Nightmare Year
By Marjorie Walker, Tecnon Orbichem. The last twelve months have been a nightmare for polyester producers. High oil prices have coincided with huge polyester filament and staple capacity additions in China as well as bumper cotton crops. Read this article reprinted from the Cotton Outlook 2005 Special Edition distributed at the 64th ICAC Plenary Meeting last September in Liverpool.
The Case for Producer Support for Consumer Promotion
By Woods E. Eastland. A report to the 64th ICAC Plenary Meeting. Mr. Eastland is the President and CEO of Staplcotn and the chairman of the National Cotton Council of America. I know that others have spoken to you before about the good work of the International Forum for Cotton Promotion — or "IFCP" — and about the need to build demand for cotton products at retail. While I will remind you of the background for the IFCP today, the primary focus of my remarks is to explain why I believe so strongly in consumer promotion.
More: Woods Eastland's bio
IFCP Introduces Sponsorship Program
The International Forum for Cotton Promotion (IFCP) has introduced a new sponsorship program called CottonSponsor. The CottonSponsor program provides a new way for individuals and organizations to support the IFCP in its mission to facilitate cotton demand enhancement programs through the exchange of tested cotton promotion strategies. From CI World Report magazine.
More: CI World Report
Cotton Promotion and Demand Growth
By Carlos A. Valderrama. Several factors can influence cotton competitiveness and eventually increase the rate of growth of consumption. Price is one factor. Price competitiveness is related to gains in productivity, to the cost of labor in relation to the competition and to exchange rates. However, if we are to think of price competitiveness of cotton at the world level, it is evident that the only element behind price competitiveness is productivity. Beside prices, other factors that influence consumption patterns are quality and diversity of uses, both related to research and promotion.
More: Carlos A. Valderrama's bio
Technology that Affects Cotton's Market Share
As textile innovations shown at the ITMA machinery show last year begin to appear in the manufacturing sector, cotton's market share will reap the benefits of 'cotton friendly' products and processes that focus on improving efficiency and productivity. Dr. Abdelfattah M. Seyam, College of Textiles, N.C. State University, takes an in-depth look at weaving and preparation systems that are now available, and notes the move to digital interfaces, enabling the manufacture of intricately designed woven fabrics, at the speed of commodity fabrics.
More: Dr. Abdelfattah M. Seyam's bio
How Well Do You Know Your Competition?
In order to compete effectively in the changing global fiber market, it is important to understand how the competition is consolidating.
Commitment and Competence in Cotton
By Jan Wellmann. Education can be a powerful cotton promotion tool, and Jan Wellmann of the Bremen Exchange gives us some insight as to how it's done.
More: Jan Wellmann's bio
Fiber's Shifting Focus
By Virginia S. Borland, Textile World, September 2004. Part one of a two-part series addressing the shifting focus of fiber companies as they deal with change in the textile industry.
The Urgent Need to Promote Cotton Internationally
By Dr. Eugene Brock. World fibre consumption at end use level was estimated to be 52 millions tons in 2002. Cotton fibre share of this market again decreased and now stands at 39.7% (2002). Although cotton consumption increased by 3%, the demand for non-cotton fibres resumed expansion by 6% during this period. This pattern has been taking place since 1987 when cotton's market share was over 50%.
More: Dr. Eugene Brock's bio
Also available in PDF format
Cotton Promotion — Target or the Way to Hit the Target
By Katarzyna Swiecicka. Cotton is pure, natural and healthy raw material. When used in making apparel or in the sector of industrial fabrics, its values are self-evident and doubtless. In spite of the virtues — the producers and processors of cotton live hard times now. One of the reasons of this state of affairs are government subsidies let in many cotton producing countries. For some, it means retaining the growing area or even rising the production, for others its is unfair competition and hindering the possibilities of development. Since many years, the viewpoints of the opponents and advocates of this kind of aid have been clashing on the forum of WTO and ICAC.
More: Katarzyna Swiecicka's bio
Also available in PDF format
Strategic Perspective
By Jeffrey P. Silberman. By focusing your promotion domestically, you manage the scope of that promotion, and you then can control your competitive environment more successfully. Working in a market that you are intimately familiar with and connected to presents strong advantages, including a better understanding of your target consumer that will help you to more easily and effectively influence fiber preferences.
More: Jeffrey P. Silberman's bio
Also available in PDF format
