Cotton does sustainability and innovation

Cotton Incorporated promoted sustainability and innovation at the 2018 Shanghai Intertextile Apparel Fabrics Show at National Exhibition Center. With research and development efforts that span the entire supply chain， Cotton Incorporated brings insights on sustainability， the latest in innovative cotton products and information on all-things cotton to Shanghai Intertextile.

Sustainability is a key component of driving future demand for cotton. Cotton Incorporated works with the supply chain to advance the use of responsibly produced cotton through research and involvement in programs like Cotton LEADS？. The Cotton LEADS？ program， with over 550 partners， connects textile manufacturers， brands and retailers with a variety of ways to advance sustainable cotton. Mr. William Kimbrell， CI Senior Director Supply Chain Marketing Asia said “You can trust cotton from the United States to be grown sustainably. Extensive research allows cotton growers to make smart， forward-thinking decisions about how to continuously improve their environmental impact. Beyond the field， cotton， as a natural fiber， biodegrades more readily than synthetics； providing more reasons to choose this natural raw material.”

Mr. Kimbrell added， “Starting with cotton as the raw material is the first step. Then by engineering performance features into cotton products we are able to meet market and consumer demands； making performance cotton products that compete with synthetics.”Cotton Incorporated offers a suite of high-performing cotton finishes including moisture management， water repellency and the latest， a formaldehyde-free durable press finish called PUREPRESS？. In addition， Cotton Incorporateds FABRICAST？ collection is a valuable resource that presents inspirational cotton and cotton-rich fabric developments.

At the booth 4.1-E55， visitors could meet with cotton experts and learn about product and marketing ideas that can enhance their cotton business. Textile innovations， product adoptions， supply chain opportunities and sustainability information were all on display. After the show dont forget this information is at your fingertips through CottonWorks？. CottonWorks？ is the textile industrys best resource for information， education， training and technical assistance for all-things cotton. Visit CottonWorks？ at www.cottonworks.com.

Cotton Incorporated （“CI”） works on behalf of American producers of upland cotton and importers of cotton products. The companys mission is to increase demand and add value for cotton through activities in research and cotton promotion around the world. Cotton Incorporated has a world-class research center for new product development and product quality improvement.

Cotton LEADS？ is a program that is committed to responsible cotton production and is founded on core principles that are consistent with sustainability， the use of best practices and traceability in the supply chain. This joint program， initiated by Australia and the United States， offers manufacturers， brands and retailers a reliable cotton supply and assurance that their raw material is responsibly produced and identified. The Cotton LEADS？ program is driven by producers， scientists and professionals striving to make sure cotton is produced responsibly now and for years to come. As of September 1， 2017， 480 members have joined the program， among them， 287 from Asia.