The International Cotton Advisory Committee (ICAC) will hold its 73rd plenary meeting in Thessaloniki, Greece, from November 2 to 7, 2014. The themes to be covered range from sustainable production practices, climate change, exchange of germplasm and logistics to value addition and national branding. This annual event is one of the premier fixtures in the world cotton calendar.
Representatives from producing countries will discuss their experiences with national programs of responsible cotton production, including levels of farmer participation, challenges faced in establishing benchmarks of best practices, techniques of national-level data collection, use of sub-products and impacts on farm income. The aim is to develop an understanding of the prerequisites for textile industry growth that will allow government officials to determine whether increased mill use of cotton is feasible in their countries and the measures necessary to support increased mill use of cotton.
Analysis will be made of the characteristics of land transportation, banking, insurance, port facilities and marketing systems that will result in better performance. The topics to be explored include differences between generic promotion and promotion of cotton within identity programs or by national industries, techniques of brand establishment and experiences with national demand enhancement programs.
