COTTON USA:“I LOVE MY COTTON”

by+Li+Yili

Cotton Council International （CCI） launched its promotional campaign COTTON USA： “I LOVE MY COTTON”at the Ullens Center for Contemporary Art （UCCA） in Beijings renowned 798 Art District on March 20th. The Beijing launch signals the start of the Asia regional promotion， which forms a key part of the worldwide “I LOVE MY COTTON” campaign. The launch ceremony was attended by Madam Gao Fang， Executive Vice President of China Cotton Association， Mr. Philip Shull， Minister Counselor for Agricultural Affairs at the US Embassy， Dr. Gary Adams， President and CEO of the National Cotton Council of America， Mr. Wang Dongxiao， Director of Textile Department at China Chamber of Commerce for Import and Export of Textiles， Ms. Wu Yongqian， Vice Secretary General of China Home Textile Association， and Ms. Karin Malmstrom， Director， Cotton Council International， China and Northeast Asia.

The purpose of the promotional campaign is to communicate the true material value of cotton， which is made from pure， natural plant fibers， and provides the ideal canvas for personal expression and individuality. Designed by leading New York stylist， Karen Kaiser， and shot by Paola Kudacki， the 2015 “I LOVE MY COTTON” campaign began with a photo- shoot which captured four supermodels from different corners of the globe wearing their cotton in different ways. BregjeHeinen， Lais Oliveira， Julia Hafstrom and Gaspard Meniert all illustrated the purity of American cotton and how individuality can be extracted from even the most minimalist of cotton garments.

Cotton， essential for happy living

Earlier in March， “I LOVE MY COTTON” landed at the Beijing Capital International Airport as part of the China advertising campaign. Divided into two separate exhibitions areas， namely My Double Life and My Fertile Ground， the promotion depicts some of lifes most unforgettable moments and communicates the rich quality of COTTON USA and the vast U.S. cotton belt environment that covers 17 states.

Supported by Madam Gao Fang， Mr. Philip Shull and Dr. Gary Adams， the “I LOVE MY COTTON” launch revolved around the topic of “Explore the Invisible Love of Life”. Popular radio presenter Yu Zhou， top fashion photographer Yin Chao， fashionista Da Cai and textile designer Yang Bei all shared their passion for cotton from differing perspectives. The animated discussions highlighted how cotton is an indispensable part of life. Da Cai was joined at the event by her daughter， who shared her experience of selecting clothing for children. She remarked， “Cotton is the best fabric for babies. The soft and gentle sensation of cotton is ideal against a babys delicate skin.” Expert textile designer Yang Bei shared the benefits of cotton as a fabric，“Cotton is a much-loved fabric. Pure cotton clothing is not affected by static electricity and pilling， and， as a natural fiber， it is completely biodegradable， which means it is the perfect choice for the environment.” Photographer Yin Chao agreed， commenting， “Good quality cotton clothing is smooth and comfortable to wear. It is a very relaxing material. From a professional perspective， it is a great fabric for catching the subtleties of human movements and emotions.”

Karin Malmstrom， Director of Cotton Council International， China and Northeast Asia speaking about the “I LOVE MY COTTON” campaign said，“Through fun yet meaningful events and promotional activities， we hope to connect with the Chinese public in a deeply emotional way. Cotton is an example of nature at its finest- the perfect fiber for a natural， healthy lifestyle. It is comfortable， adaptable and environmentally safe. The four supermodels in our series of “I LOVE MY COTTON” advertisements draw attention to how people interact with and build relationships with their cotton clothing.”

Like love， cotton is essential for happy living. COTTON USA exemplifies Purity， Quality and Responsibility. These three key advantages make it a natural choice for people who care about what they wear. Through the combination of hard work， cuttingedge technology and carefully crafted cultivation， COTTON USA extracts the very best from the rich heartlands of America. COTTON USA is a natural， environmentally friendly and 100% recyclable material that， after use， can be entirely returned to mother earth.

To ensure that people continue to enjoy the natural benefits of cotton today and in the future， COTTON USA works closely with cotton growers， textile mills， manufacturers， retailers and brands to produce the highest grade， environmentally sustainable cotton made fit for comfortable living.

2015， reducing in production and price

In terms of production and price， reduced area and lower price are seemed to be driven by market conditions and policies， according to Karin. “The US government is currently implementing the latest farm law that authorizes government programs for cotton and other crops， under which US cotton producers do not have a target price.” As the amount of area to devote to cotton is based on the expected market prices and returns for cotton and competing crops， the National Cotton Council survey projects predict a 15% decline in area， given current market prices. Based on average yields， US cotton production in 2015 is projected at 3.1 million tons， down from 3.5 million tons in 2014. If weather cooperates during the growing season， the crop could exceed 3.1 million tons.

The same situation also happens to Chinas cotton according to policies and price. In 2015， Chinas cotton produc- tion is expected to fall below 5 million tons. The Chinese government will also reduce the cotton planting area in Xinjiang. Reduced area seems to be driven by prevailing market conditions as prices are lower now than when the 2014 crop was planted. Also， given the current level of government stocks， lower production should provide an opportunity to reduce the stocks. Eventually， lower production could provide an opportunity for additional cotton imports.

After three years of higher prices， current world cotton prices are down by approximately 20% from year-ago levels. The lower cotton prices are primarily the result of four key factors. First， cotton prices are coming under pressure as prices of many other commodity prices are also down over the past year. Second， the stronger value of the US dollar is contributing to weaker cotton prices. In a commodity traded in a dollar-denominated manner， a stronger dollar will lead to downward pressure on prices. Third， China is the largest importer of cotton. With smaller import quotas， China is reducing imports and that is also contributing to lower prices. Fourth， in the current 2014/15 marketing year， cotton stocks outside of China are increasing for the first time since 2011.

“At current prices， global cotton production is expected to decline in 2015 as cotton farmers do not find current prices attractive. At current prices， we are continuing to see a modest improvement in cotton demand. However， more demand growth is needed. The challenge of all cotton industries is to continue to promote cotton as a preferred fiber for the consumer，” said Karin.