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Newly launched site promotes increased consumer demand programs for cotton

The International Forum for Cotton Promotion (IFCP) has announced the launch of www.cottonpromotion.org, a website designed to enlighten and empower cotton organizations in the service of increasing consumption of cotton within their own markets.

Launched in December 2003, the website provides members of cotton organizations with a forum for exchanging ideas about boosting demand for cotton products. Robust and interactive, the site includes news essential to cotton organizations, including articles by industry experts on promotion strategies and techniques, updated worldwide cotton news bulletins, and IFCP member updates.

“Our goal is to avail cotton organizations the world over with the tools to increase consumption locally,” said Jeffrey P Silberman, executive director of IFCP, and assistant chairperson to the Textile Development and Marketing Department at the Fashion Institute of Technology (FIT) in New York. “IFCP is a united effort among Interested organizations and companies from countries that produce, trade and consume cotton to compete globally with chemical fiber producers. Based on past experience, we believe the declining market share for cotton can be reversed. This website is of great importance, as it helps members stimulate demand and, ultimately, helps to sustain the world cotton market.”

Established in 2000 at the International Cotton Advisory Committee (ICAC) Plenary Meeting in Cairns, Australia the IFCP seeks to increase consumer demand for cotton by encouraging the establishment of domestically funded and focused demand enhancement programs, and facilitating the expansion of existing ones. The IFCP website can also be accessed through ICAC’s website at www.icac.org.

IFCP is dedicated to providing a springboard from which cotton promotion programs can evolve, to the benefit of all cotton-centric organizations and nations. As a non-governmental body composed of domestic and international cotton and textile industry organizations and companies, IFCP serves as a clearinghouse for the exchange of proven strategies for increasing consumer demand for cotton through promotion, best practices, and retail-level communication and promotion efforts.

Since its inception, the Forum has conducted research on international fiber labeling laws, developed national promotional communiques, and hosted presentations and workshops on various aspects of cotton promotion. IFCP’s membership is currently comprised of 17 organizations from 13 countries.