Cotton Conclave® 2021
“Cotton for Good”
Celebrating World Cotton Day
Organic Cotton: Price v/s Value
Cotton is the cash crop & the social crop of the world, especially so in India. Since centuries, cotton and cotton fabrics have been the main reason for India being a world leader. In short, Cotton is the USP of India. India has the distinction of being the biggest producer, 2nd largest consumer and amongst the Top 3 exporters of cotton.
Organic Cotton Market Report 2021 states that global Organic cotton fiber production in 2019-20 (2.49 lakh tons) is similar to what it was in 2009-10 (2.43 lakh tons). The trend is positive since last 4 years, but challenges are multifold.
Organic farming is recognized as a vital tool in climate change mitigation. With more and more companies recognizing the far-reaching benefits of organic cotton, many are now putting it at the heart of their preferred materials portfolios. And, as they realize these benefits, companies are setting ambitious targets to align their sourcing practices with initiatives such as the Sustainable Development Goals, the 2025 Sustainable Cotton Challenge, or The German Partnership for Sustainable Textiles. Yet, establishing an organic management system requires investment and commitment – and up to three years for farmers to make the conversion. As a result, many brands wishing to incorporate the fiber into their supply chains are finding that there isn’t currently enough to meet their needs.
COVID-19 continues to have a profound and devastating impact on organic cotton communities worldwide, particularly those that are financially, socially, or physically vulnerable to its effects. Economic performance is a key parameter for farmers when deciding whether to grow cotton organically. The good news is that brands can help to increase supply by investing in in-conversion cotton and sending clear demand signals to farmers so that they can make the switch feeling confident there will be a market for it.
India is the leader undisputed leader in organic cotton supply with a market share of nearly 50%.
Cotton Conclave® 2021 was organized by COTTONGURU® on 7th Oct, 2020 to celebrate World Cotton Day.
Global thought leaders from across 4 continents shared their views and possible solutions to facilitate Brands to build a robust and traceable supply chain for Organic cotton.
Mr Manish Daga, MD, COTTONGURU® Group
Mr. Suresh Kotak, Chairman, Kotak Group popular as Cotton Man of India
Mr. Kai Huges, Executive Director, ICAC, USA
Mr. Dr Keshav Kranthi, Head of Technical Information Section, ICAC, USA
Dr Sudhir Goel, Former Additional Chief Secretary, Agri & Mrkt, Govt of Maharashtra
Mr Pradeep Kumar Agarwal, CMD, Cotton Corporation Of India (CCI)
Mr. Sanjay Jain, MD TT Ltd
Mr. Mehdi Ali, Ex. President, Bangladesh Cotton Association (BCA)
Mr. K.K.Lalpuria, CEO & Director Indo Count Industries Ltd
Dr Mohammad Negm, Chairman, ICRA-ICAC, Egypt, Africa
Mr Ganesh Kasekar , South Asia Representative, GOTS
Dr. Binay Kumar Choudhury, Chairman, CU India
The Cotton Conclave® began with a welcome address by Mr Manish Daga, MD, COTTONGURU® Group, the organizer of the event. He spoke about the past Cotton Conclaves and their achievements. He also shared the joy and elation of Indian cotton farmers when FARMATHON, World’s 1st ever farmers’ marathon organised by Cottonguru in 2019 was telecast during the WTO gala event in Geneva to celebrate World Cotton Day.
Mr. Daga explained how the topic of “Cotton for Good” is fully justified as cotton itself is a symbol of purity and goodness apart from giving comfort and growth to the entire value chain and even the customers.
Cottonguru MahaFPO Federation is the model face farmer producer company which helps other FPOs to market their produce, negotiate discounts on agri-input purchases and assists in adoption of latest technology. Over the years, this relationship has extended to 100,000+ farmers and 100+ Farmer Producer Organisations (FPOs).
Cottonguru MahaFPO Federation is an implementation agency for various projects for organic and conventional contamination-controlled cotton, making clusters for aggregation and marketing.
Understanding the farmers’ mind-set of ‘seeing is believing’, Cottonguru® has created various Pradarshan Khet or Evidence farms which are also Model farms and farmer training centres.
Excerpts from Cotton Conclave® 2021
Associations:
Mr. Kai Huges congratulated everyone on World Cotton Day stressing on the importance of cotton in our lives. He explained how acceptance by UN to celebrate 7th Oct as World Cotton Day can change the
He complimented the work done by Cottonguru mentioning the MOU with ICAC & Cottonguru in India for Organic and other cotton projects.
Economists:
Mr. Suresh Kotak spoke on Satvik kapas=Saksham kapas (Pure cotton=Capable cotton). He highlighted the economic importance of cotton and stressed on the urgent need to realize the true potential of cotton and it’s value added products and by-products. He congratulated Cottonguru for integrating the farmers with focus on sustainability, quality and value addition of cotton.
Govt Officials/ Agriculture Experts:
Dr Sudhir Goel shared his expert opinion on the urgent need to develop an effective eco-system. He stressed on the need for Brands, Mills and Ginners to start a model with group of nearby farmers which can be later scaled up into a robust value chain.
Research Scientists:
Dr Keshav Kranthi shared how India has the potential to become the Organic cotton capital of the World.
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Dr Mohammad Negm spoke about how Egypt has effectively branded their Giza cotton. He said that they badly need a “Cottonguru’ in Egypt and invited “Cottonguru’ to immediately start a project with the farmers.
Industry:
Mr. Sanjay Jain spoke about the importance of compliances and connect of Environmental Social & Governance (ESG) & Social Development Goals (SDG) for better future
Mr Mehdi Ali shared his view on Organic cotton demand and premium during 2021-22 season.
Mr. K.K.Lalpuria stated his vision for Organic cotton as a Textile Corporate Brand. He was confident that his Company will showcase a good model of sustainable cotton in Cotton Conclave 2022.
Certification Bodies:
Mr Ganesh Kasekar , South Asia Representative, GOTS shared his observations on scope for global Textile Brands in building Organic cotton supply chain in India. He is very positive about India in Organic segment.
Dr. Binay Kumar Choudhury, Chairman, CU India spoke on Importance of Organic Cotton certification and the significance of being certified.
Professional/Agri Entrepreneur
Mr Manish Daga, MD, COTTONGURU®, the organisor of Cotton Conclave® thanked all the global thought leaders who shared their expert views. He also thanked the viewers from across the globe and hundreds of farmers who had logged in to watch the unique event.
Conclusion:
India has the potential to become the Organic Capital of the World
Brands need to make long-term investments and build robust supply chains seeking advice from professional organizations for efficient implementation
There is a dire need for transparency and accountability so that the term “Cotton for Good” is valid for all.
For more information, please contact:
Mr. Manish Daga
Managing Director
COTTONGURU® Group
Wealth creators in Sustainable Agriculture
E-mail: manish@cottonguru.org, agri@cottonguru.org
www.cottonguru.org