Page 16 - TEXtalks November/December 2021
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                    Worldwide Antimicrobial                                                                                                   Fortifying the Cotton Supply Chain New



                     Textile Industry to reach                                                                                                        Approaches to New Challenges


                         $14.7 billion by 2027                                                                                                              ICAC's 79th Plenary Meeting


                                                                                                                                    The International Cotton Advisory Committee (ICAC)
                                                                                                                                                                                     Union's new policy on Product Environmental Footprint
                                                                                                                                    virtually organized the 79th Plenary Meeting with the   quality and water consumption. The European
            According to the Research and Markets’s report, the   Sanitized AG, BASF SE, Herculite, Smith & Nephew.                 theme "Fortifying the Cotton Supply Chain — New   (PEF), using the Higg Index, raises concerns when
            global Antimicrobial Textile market was valued at                                                                       Approaches to New Challenges" from 6th to 9th    comparing synthetic and natural fibers.
            USD 10800 million in 2020, which is expected to   The report highlighted that the COVID-19 pandemic                     December 2021. The Meeting was the first to be
            reach USD 14700 million by 2027 at a CAGR of 6.5%   had a negligible impact on the antimicrobial fabrics                held virtually and 575 persons registered, including   For India, Bt-hybrid cotton technology successfully
            from 2020-2027. An antimicrobial textile is a structure   industry, resulting in a modest reduction in CAGR.            representatives from 24 Member Governments, 8    transformed India's cotton productivity and grew on
            that protects a microwave antenna, and it is made of   During COVID -19, the market has been affected by                international organizations, and 21 non-member   98% of India's cotton area. Current yield stagnation
            materials that do not interfere with the transmission   lower raw material output, supply chain disruptions,            countries.                                       could be broken by creating genetic variability to
            of electromagnetic signals.                       and impeded trade movements. The pandemic                                                                              develop new hybrids with biotic/abiotic stress
                                                              impacted end-user businesses, including food,                         The Meeting highlighted that in 2020, world textile   tolerance, short duration with high yield, better fiber
            Furthermore, it is naturally waterproof. Antimicrobial   beverage, retail, and home and personal care. North            fiber demand declined by 5% to 98.4 million tonnes,   parameters, or by substituting the extant
            Textiles are used in aircraft to relay communications   America dominates the antimicrobial textiles industry.          driven by the global economic downturn caused by   long-season Bt-cotton hybrids with short-season Bt-
            more efficiently. Various key players listed in this   Because of the limitations in current medication                 the Covid-19 pandemic. The decline occurred after   cotton varieties that would be better suited for the
            report include Milliken & Company, PurThread      therapy, treatment, and management of orthopedic,                     11 years of continuous expansion. However, based   rainfed area, which accounts for more than 65% of
            Technologies, Trevira GmbH, Thai Acrylic Fiber Co.   cardiovascular, ophthalmic, neurological, and various              on higher projected economic growth in the short   the cotton acreage in India.
            Ltd., and Vestagen Protective Technologies, Inc.,   other chronic conditions.                                           term and an increase of nearly 1% in the population,
                                                                                                                                    world textile fiber demand is projected to reach   Pakistan's Report for ICAC's 79th Meeting
                                                                                                                                    107.3 million tonnes in 2021 and 125 million tonnes   1- Cotton, a major cash crop of Pakistan, is
                                                                                                                                    in 2025.                                         considered the backbone of the national economy,
                                                                                                                                                                                     and it contributes about 0.7 % to GDP and 3.5% of
                                                                                                                                    Furthermore, the ICAC Cotton Data Book data      total value added in agriculture. Pakistan is the fifth
                                               Levis decided to go                                                                  as India, Pakistan, and Uzbekistan to focus on   second-largest exporter of cotton yarn globally.
                                                                                                                                                                                     largest producer, third-largest consumer, and
                                                                                                                                    indicates an imminent need for Asian countries such
                                                                                                                                                                                     Export of cotton and textile products have a share of
                                                                                                                                    precision farming and regenerative agricultural
                                               with plant-based                                                                     practices to increase soil health and yields and   57% in the country's overall exports.
                                                                                                                                                                                     2- Cotton is grown by more than 1.3 million farmers
                                                                                                                                    fertilizer use efficiency. Data also indicates an urgent
                                                                                                                                                                                     on around 3.0 million hectares which is 15% of the
                                                                                                                                    need for Africa, India, and Pakistan to adopt best
                                               indigo                                                                               practices for yield enhancement to improve       cultivable area of Pakistan. Cotton production in
                                                                                                                                    land-use efficiency and economic sustainability. The
                                                                                                                                                                                     Pakistan during 2020-21 remained lower at 7.064
                                                                                                                                    Private Sector Advisory Council was formed with the
                                                                                                                                                                                     million bales of 170 Kg. The cotton production
                                                                                                                                    approval of the Standing Committee. It will include   during the current season 2021-22 is satisfactory
                                                                                                                                    international, regional, and national organizations   and expected to achieve the target of 10.5 million
            Levi Strauss & Co. decide to collaborate with Fash-  potential agricultural benefits of the crop.                       representing producers, ginners, merchants,      bales.
            ion for Good and Stony Creek Colors to pilot the use                                                                    spinners, weavers, machine manufacturers,        3- Pakistan's research setup contributes significantly
            of plant-based pre-reduced indigo at scale. The   IndiGold replaces petroleum-derived synthetic indigo                  retailers, and brands.                           by releasing more than 100 elite and new cotton Bt
            purpose of this partnership is to reduce the number   with plant-based inputs and can be integrated into                                                                 varieties within the set standards of fiber quality and
            of potentially harmful chemicals in the denim supply   an indigo pre-reduction system by using hydrogen                 ICAC highlighted that studies have shown that    National Coordinated Varietal Trials for the last 10
            chain. The aim is to unlock key learnings around   as the reduction agent, thereby eliminating harmful                  consumer concerns around sustainability are      years.
            shade application and other efficiencies, with    byproducts from both the pre-reduction and the                        growing. Environmental concerns are climate      4- The production capacity of ginning industry in
            garments dyed with Stony Creek Colors’ IndiGold   dyeing process. In addition, Fashion for Good                         change, water scarcity; air pollution, ocean waste;   Pakistan ranges from12 million bales to 35 million
            dye on the market by late 2022 and early 2023.    explains that liquid dye allows for more efficient use
                                                              of raw materials, including indigo and supporting                     land and waste management; and population        bales. The Government is taking some serious
                                                              chemistry. Because it is pre-reduced, it makes it                     growth. Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) results for a   steps to upgrade this industry sector. Establishing
            Stony Creek Colors grows its indigo on partner farms   possible for more mills to use it with more consistent           knit collared shirt indicate that cotton textile   cotton standards through the Pakistan Cotton
            in the US, helping farmers shift their operations to a   dye results. This can help achieve better, first-quality       manufacturing contributes very little to global   Standard Institute (PCSI) and setting up a Ginning
            new, soil-enriching crop. Through its work on plant   fabrics that require less water and energy in the                 warming. However, cotton-growing does contribute   Institute in the public sector are positive steps in the
            genetics and breeding, it also investigates other   process.                                                            more to the other two environmental factors: water   right direction.


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