IFCP Membership Directory

The IFCP is comprised of some member countries from the International Cotton Advisory Committee (ICAC).

IFCP Objectives

The Forum's objectives are as follows:

Primary Objective
"To encourage national marketing development programs through the exchange of ideas and experiences, for the purpose of increasing international cotton consumption and market share."

Secondary Objectives
"To increase membership of the consortium"
"To grow awareness of cotton in the member countries"

About the Members of the IFCP

Please note: this section is not complete — based on available information

Alexandria Cotton Exporter's Association (ALCOTEXA)
Founded in 1959, ALCOTEXA is a non-profit membership organization whose members include individuals and companies engaged in the cotton-exporting sector, such as producers, traders, spinners and other bodies dealing in the cotton industry.

ALCOTEXA maintains database information on Egypt's cotton industry, issues reports and publications relating to the cotton industry and manages arbitration and disputes between cotton exporters and producers regarding quality, variety or contract issues. ALCOTEXA is managed by a General Assembly comprised of its membership that appoints a Management Committee.

Brazilian Textile and Apparel Industry Association (ABIT)
Founded in 1957, ABIT sponsors companies of every segment of the textile industry, including cotton growing, synthetic raw materials, textile fibers, spinning, weaving, knitwear, dyeing, printing and apparel manufacturing.

ABIT's mission is to support the sustainable development of the Brazilian Textile industry, representing its interests in the presence of governmental and international organizations as well as making the textile sector better known to the general public.

One of the relevant events sponsored by ABIT is the ABIT Fashion Prize, that gathers important personalities of various sectors and the press to make public which companies of the textile industry have stood out within their particular activity sector throughout the year, thus bringing those involved in the production process and the final consumers to a closer contact.

Cotton Australia
Cotton Australia supports Australian cotton growers by representing and advancing the interests of the industry to governments, non-government organizations, the media and the community.

The organization part-funds local Cotton Grower Associations and Food and Fiber Groups, sponsors national and local initiatives and events, implements marketing and promotional activities, manages a retail and education facility and communicates with growers on a daily basis.

It works to ensure an environment conducive to efficient and sustainable cotton production and places great importance on building solid relationships between cotton growers and their communities.

Cotton Australia is funded by a per-bale voluntary levy, collected from cotton growers.

Cotton Council International
Cotton Council International (CCI) is the international division of the National Cotton Council of America. CCI's mission is to increase exports of U.S. cotton, cottonseed and U.S. manufactured cotton products through activities that affect every phase of the marketing chain.
CCI's COTTON USA Market Development and Promotions program is a multi-faceted program that works to increase the competitiveness and profitability of companies who utilise U.S. cotton fiber and U.S. manufactured cotton products. From CCI's offices in Washington, DC; London; Seoul and Hong Kong - and consulting arrangements in Asia, Latin America and Europe - the COTTON USA program reaches over one billion current and potential customers of U.S. cotton in more than 50 countries worldwide.

Cotton Incorporated
Cotton Incorporated is the research and marketing company representing U.S. cotton producers and importers of cotton products into the U.S. Their mission Statement is "To increase the demand for, and profitability of cotton through research and promotion." This is done through a range of promotional and research strategies including advertising, public relations, fashion marketing and retail promotions.

Cotton South Africa
Cotton SA acts as an industry forum by means of facilitating industry committees for the promotion of common policies and industry matters. Cotton SA is a non-profit seeking company. Cotton SA performs the following essential functions:

• The rendering of information services
• The stimulation of production and the usage of cotton
• The enhancement of the marketability of cotton through research, quality standards and norms as well as training
• To act as an industry forum
• To act as an advisory body to various Government Departments
• To apply for appropriate statutory measures in terms of the Act and to administer such measures
• Small scale cotton farmer development

Cotton Association of India
The Cotton Association of India was set up in 1921 (under the name East India Cotton Association) to regulate effective cotton trade in India. Its principal functions today are:

• Facilitating smooth, ready and forward delivery based trading in cotton among members
• Fixing of daily rates for basic grades and various staples
• Providing market intelligence by collecting, compiling and disseminating relevant data on supply, demand and prices of cotton
• Publishing weekly bulletins and annual volume of cotton statistics
• Preparing and maintaining grade and staple standards in respect of all varieties of cotton
• Providing arbitration facilities
• HVI cotton fiber testing
• Enabling research in improving the yield and quality of cotton through COTAAP Research Foundation

Gdynia Cotton Association
Connected with the textile industry since 1935, the Gdynia Cotton Association is a professional, non-profit international corporation representing the Polish cotton trade and industry. The GCA offers a wide range of services:

• The Court of Arbitration settles quality and technical disagreements arising from contract disputes in the sale, or purchase of cotton.
• Organizes cotton classification courses in Polish, English and Russian;
• Offers testing of cotton in quality assured laboratories.
• Distributes "By-laws and Rules" of the GCA in English, Polish and Russian;
• Disseminates the current "value differences tables" for cotton.
• Organizes the International Discussion Forum during the bi-annual International Cotton Conferences in Gdynia.
• Represents the interests of our members before state authorities, international institutions and other organizations.
• Organizes training courses and seminars.

Istanbul Textile and Apparel Exporter's Association (ITKIB)
The Istanbul Textile and Apparel Exporter's Association is a combination of the leading textile exporters associations. With 28,000 members, ITKIB represents about 80% of Turkey's textile and apparel exports. The associations include those for carpets, leather and leather wear, textiles and ready-to-wear garments.
Founded in 1986, with origins from the 1940s, it has changed the face of Turkish exports by being outward looking and progressive. Some of the functions of ITKIB are:

• Building excellent international relations
• Marketing Turkey and its products
• Providing research, education and training
• Encouraging the country's young designers

The Cotton Company of Zimbabwe Ltd.
Discussions have been reinstated with ZITMA (Zimbabwe Textile Manufacturers Association) to stimulate interest in cotton promotion activities in the downstream textile chain.

The major constraint to promotional activities is one of finance; given the difficult macroeconomic environment prevailing in Zimbabwe coupled with the fact that the textile chain has not bought into the concept that textile consumption needs promoting in the Zimbabwe market.

Hopefully once the financial situation stabilizes, the industry will see the merits of promoting the consumption of cotton products domestically.