34th meeting of the Task Force on CSITC

March 18th, 2024, 10:00 to 13:00 Hrs. (CET)

In-Person: Bremen Cotton Exchange Building room 406 and Hybrid

Chaired By: Dr Marinus (René) van der Sluijs

The Task Force on Commercial Standardization of Instrument Testing of Cotton (CSITC) conducted its 34th meeting on Monday, 18th March 2024, in-person and virtually on the sidelines of the 37th International Cotton Conference in Bremen, Germany.

Members Present:

  • Dr Marinus (René) van der Sluijs, Principal Consultant, Textile Technical Services, Australia (Chair)
  • Mr Axel Drieling, Faserinstitut Bremen, Germany
  • Dr Mohammed Negm, Head of Spinning Research Department, Cotton Research Institute, Egypt
  • Suzan Husseini Sanad, Cotton Research Institute, Egypt
  • Dr Jean Paul Gourlot, CIRAD Persyst, France
  • Ms Gretchen Deatherage, Director Standardization, USDA- AMS, USA
  • Mr Fatih Dogan, Vice President, Mediterranean Textile and Raw materials Exporters Associations, Turkey (attended online)

Observers:

  • Mr Kayla Burbblouses, Faserinstitut Bremen, Germany
  • Dr Robert Jiang, ICA, UK
  • Mr Peyman Dehkordi, Uster Technologies, USA
  • Ms Mona Qaud, Uster Technologies, USA
  • Dr Stefan Fliescher, Textechno, Germany
  • Dr Guntram Kugler, Textechno, Germany
  • Mr Felix Liebhold, Textechno, Germany
  • Dr Neha Kothari, Cotton Incorporated, USA
  • Mr Jens Wirth, BBB, Germany
  • Mr Karsten Froese, BBB / ICA Bremen, Germany
  • Mr Michel Giner, CIRAD, France
  • Mr Darryl Earnest, Earnest Consulting Services, USA
  • Mr Jaya Hanyar, Tumulurv, USDA-ARS, USA
  • Mr Derek Whitelock, USDA-ARS, USA
  • Mr Vijay Kuradagi, Cotton Corporation of India, India (attended online)
  • Mr Justin Kuhn, ITA, Aachen University, Germany
  • Eike Knull, Faserinstitut Bremen, Germany
  • Mr Mark Messura, Cotton Incorporated, USA

ICAC Secretariat:

  • Mr Eric Trachtenberg
  • Mr Mike McCue
  • Mr Kanwar Usman

Members Not Present:

  • Mr Peter Wakefield, Wakefield Inspection Services and Chair, Private Sector Advisory Council (PSAC), Taiwan (Apology)
  • Ms Mariana Carfagnini, Coordinator of the Textile Physical Unit of the Center for Textile Research, Argentina
  • Mr Ramiro Casoliba, Director Del Centro Intl, Argentina
  • Mr Gregory Parle, Australian Food and Fibre, Australia  (Apology)
  • Mohamed Khalil Khedr, Chair CATGO – Cotton Arbitration & Testing General Organization, Egypt
  • Dr Urania Kechagia, Consultant Cotton and Industrial Plants Institute, Greece
  • Mr Patrick Ilukat, Cotton Development Organization, Uganda
  • Mr Pardeep Kumar, Chair Cotton Corporation of India, India

The 34th meeting commenced with welcoming remarks from the Chair of CSITC, Dr  van der Sluijs.

The  Chair , introduced Mr Eric Trachtenberg, the new Executive Director of International Cotton Advisory Committee (ICAC), to the Task Force on Commercial Standardization of Instrument Testing of Cotton (CSITC). The Chair highlighted Mr. Trachtenberg’s recent appointment and the continuation of leadership following Dr Terry Townsend, Mr Jose Sette and Mr Kai Hughes.

Mr Eric Trachtenberg greeted the Task Force, expressing his pleasure in reconnecting with known colleagues and meeting new ones. He shared a brief overview of his extensive background, highlighting his 16-year tenure at the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Foreign Agriculture Service, and his roles in various government and consulting capacities, including a significant focus on the cotton sector.

Mr Trachtenberg emphasized the critical role of CSITC  in ensuring the reliability and consistency of cotton testing, which he sees as fundamental to maintaining the integrity and competitiveness of cotton against synthetic alternatives. He underlined the importance of instrument standardization to uphold contract sanctity and foster trust in cotton transactions globally.

Looking forward, Mr Trachtenberg outlined his strategic vision for ICAC under his leadership. He aims to refine ICAC’s data and publication efforts, enhance agricultural development and sustainability, increase engagement with the textile industry, and strengthen relationships with brands and retailers. He stressed the importance of adapting to member and stakeholder needs and encouraged open communication for continuous improvement. Additionally, Mr Trachtenberg highlighted his recent policy engagement efforts, including discussions with the European Commission in Brussels, emphasizing the importance of regulatory engagement to support the cotton industry. He concluded by thanking the Task Force for their dedication and expressing enthusiasm for the potential advancements in instrument testing. The Chair thanked Mr Trachtenberg for his comprehensive introduction and insightful vision, marking a promising direction for the future of CSITC.

 

Agenda Item 1: The agenda was adopted.

Agenda Item 2:  Approval of the Minutes of the 33rd Meeting held on the 2nd of December 2023                                                                                              on the sidelines of the 81st Plenary Meeting of ICAC held in Mumbai India

The minutes of 33rd Meeting of the Task Force were read and approved.

Agenda Item 3: Latest on Round Trial Results and Comparisons by Mr. Axel Drieling

The Chair gave the floor to Mr Axel Drieling.

Mr  Drieling delivered his presentation, ‘Latest on Round Trial Results and Comparisons,’ which continues to be an essential feature of every meeting of the Task Force. He  provided information on the participation and outcomes of the 2023 Round Trials. He noted that the Round Trials are executed jointly by the ICAC, Faserinstitut, and USDA AMS. The six properties which are evaluated are micronaire, strength, length in terms of upper half mean length, length uniformity in % and color in terms of Rd and +b were analyzed for evaluation purposes, whilst four properties – trash area and count, short fiber index in % and maturity were also assessed but only for information purposes and did not form part of the overall evaluation of the laboratories.

Mr Drieling highlighted the use of an Overall Evaluation Result (OER) as a grading system for the laboratories based on their deviation from true results. The OER averages six evaluated properties, with zero representing the ideal outcome.

Mr.  Drieling reported that the 2023 Round Trials results have been compiled but are not yet public and have not been shared with the participating laboratories. He noted the trends in annual participation and said there was an increase in participation up to the year 2013-14, followed by a period of stability. Recently, there has been a slight increase in participation. He emphasized the notable increase in the number of instruments, particularly in the last two rounds, where several laboratories have participated with multiple instruments per sample set. He discussed seasonal variations in participation and pointed out that participation typically dips at the beginning of each year but increases with the third and fourth rounds, especially in countries like Australia and Brazil. He further explained the evaluation results and clarified that lower scores were indicative of better performance. The results have shown significant improvement from 2010 to 2015, after which they stabilized. This trend suggests a maturing in the accuracy and reliability of the testing processes among the participating laboratories. He also explained that the deviation between laboratories, which was related to the evaluation of combined properties, had been steadily decreasing from 0.5 which was achieved in 2007. The results for the earlier years were below expectation as laboratories participating in the RT needed time to improve their procedures and practices. The results had significantly improved since 2011 and from 2012 onwards, when the number of participants remained consistent, the results improved, with variation between the laboratories reducing to 0.35. The deviation between laboratories, which was related to the evaluation of combined properties, had been steadily decreasing from 0.5  which was achieved in 2007.

Mr. Drieling described the proposed new reporting system and  that the new system included detailed quantile rankings for laboratories, which would be included in both the general and specific instrument reports. This system is designed to assist laboratories understand their performance relative to their peers, categorizing them into top 10%, 25%, 50%, and 75% based on their Overall Evaluation Results (OER). He further suggested enhancements to the general report format: and proposed adding tables to the general report. These new tables would show the top 10%, 25%, 50%, and 75% quantile categories alongside the average and best/worst instrument results. This update aims to provide clarity on what constitutes a good result and how laboratories rank within the broader participant pool.

Mr. Drieling concluded his presentation by emphasizing the benefits of the new reporting enhancements, which were intended to provide laboratories with clearer benchmarks for performance and improvement. He expressed anticipation for feedback on the proposed changes to ensure they meet the needs of all stakeholders.

The Chair thanked Mr Drieling and opened the floor for Q&A.

On a question Mr Drieling explained that for each instrument participating in the trials, specific percentages indicating the level of performance are outlined, demonstrating how each rank within the entire group. For instance, one particular instrument was highlighted for performing in the top 9%, 6%, 5%, and at times in the top 14% across different Round Trials. This allows for a more precise understanding of where each instrument stands—whether consistently within the top 10% or occasionally in the top 25% at the end of each Round Trial. He further emphasized that this additional detail would be beneficial for laboratories not only to gauge their performance more accurately but also to effectively market their standing, such as being within the top 25% of participants. He again expressed his hope that the inclusion of these specifics, as discussed in the previous meeting, would be seen as a valuable enhancement, helping laboratories understand and communicate their competency levels more clearly.

On a question that the number of participating laboratories periodically change and could it effect the results provided – hereplied that the variability in participation could be seen as a potential issue; however, it actually underscores the benefit of using quantiles. The quantile system relates directly to the number of instruments involved, and regardless of whether the labs are consistently good or vary widely in quality, the quantiles offer a robust measure of performance. This system helps in understanding where a laboratory stands relative to others, which is crucial not only from an academic perspective but also from a commercial standpoint. The key commercial value for laboratories is gaining a clear understanding of their performance and identifying areas for improvement. Often, we hear from labs that have achieved high rankings, and they use this status as a marketing tool to assure their clients of their quality. This external validation is significant as it allows labs not only to internally manage quality but also to display their standing externally, asserting their competence in the marketplace. Being ranked in the top 25%, for example, is a strong selling point that laboratories can use to distinguish themselves to potential clients.

On a question on the concern that about the contributing factors such as instrument performance, sample preparation, and operator influence and how much each factor contributes to the overall variation, he explained that consistently high-performing laboratories tend to maintain stable results, typically ranging between 0.2 and 0.3 in their evaluations. He emphasized that variations due to sample differences are generally minimal because the protocol includes testing four samples with thirty tests each. This design mitigates the impact that any single sample’s variability could have on the overall results.

Mr. Drieling further noted that while the data might not explicitly distinguish whether deviations are due to the instrument, the operator, or other factors, a preliminary analysis can be conducted to determine if the deviations are systematic (consistently high or low across multiple tests) or random (spikes in test results). Additionally, the laboratory tests evaluate the consistency of results across 30 individual tests and over five days, providing insights into day-to-day operational stability and the repeatability of single-day tests by the same operator under ideal conditions.

These detailed analyses help in understanding the internal consistency of the testing process and are outlined in the instrument-specific reports. However, he noted that such data are not included in the broader certification documents but are available in the detailed reports for those who need to delve deeper into the quality assurance aspects of their operations.

On another question that that there were approximately sixty laboratories and about 150 instruments participating. How many of these are typically classified as outliers in each round of results, on that Mr Drieling explained that outlier identification follows a strict mathematical rule which assesses how significantly a single instrument or result deviates from the standard deviation. If results from an instrument consistently deviate in the same direction – whether too high or too low – they are only considered outliers if such deviations occur in isolation. If multiple laboratories or instruments exhibit similar deviations, they are not classified as outliers.

He noted that approximately 2 to 4% of results are typically excluded as outliers based on this criteria. These omissions are essential for ensuring the accuracy of OER, because including severely abnormal data would skew the average and the standard deviation significantly. Such outliers are removed from the overall analysis to maintain the integrity of the data set. Every result is considered valid within its context; however, extreme anomalies, such as micronaire values fluctuating from 4 to 400 and back to 4, would be flagged and affect the laboratory’s evaluation negatively, indicating a potential issue with the instrument or its operation. These values would not be considered as it was most likely a typing error while reporting the results.

The Chair thanked  Mr Drieling for the comprehensive briefing.

Agenda Item 4: Correspondence from the Chair to Instrument Manufacturers

The Chair  reported on outreach to industry stakeholders and said that he extended invitations to prominent instrument manufacturers to participate in this meeting, successfully engaging companies such as Uster  Technologies AG and Textechno. He expressed appreciation for their presence at the meeting. While attempts to engage with Premier were less successful, receiving minimal response and confirmation of non-attendance and lastly contact was made with MAG  who provided some valuable feedback.

Agenda Item 5: Correspondence from the Chair to Spinning Companies on (a) how to engage them and persuade them to participate (b) free samples and (c) agent

The Chair informed the meeting that by using information from Mr Axel Drieling, he contacted the seven spinning companies that participated in last year’s Round Trials. These companies were from diverse locations including India, South Africa, Colombia, and Mexico. The purpose was to understand their reasons for participating in CSITC, determining the benefits they perceive. Common responses highlighted the importance of participation for verifying instrument accuracy, ensuring cotton matches export specifications, and achieving consistent yarn quality and efficient processing. Notably, Indian spinners queried about including long-staple cotton in CSITC trials to assess its impact on HVI reliability. Moreover, concerns regarding the cost of participation were voiced, with some spinners indicating the fees were prohibitively high. The suggestion to incorporate long-staple cotton into CSITC trials was discussed, acknowledging previous deliberations and considering it as a viable enhancement for future trials.  It was discussed that a fifth sample may be incorporated for the long staple, however, concerns were raised  about how laboratories currently calibrated primarily with Upland cotton would adjust to including long-staple varieties. The fear was that adding ELS cotton would lead to inappropriate calibration for these samples, potentially affecting the overall accuracy of the trials.

Moreover, the lack of standardized testing for cotton stickiness was also raised. It was noted that issues of cotton stickiness was currently overseen in the International Committee on Cotton Testing Methods (ICCTM) indicating that CSITC will not considerincorporating this into their program at this stage.

It was indicated that the last increase from $275 to $325 per RT was made in September 2022 commencing from  January 2023 was necessary to off-set rising operational costs.

The Chair invited further comments and insights from the  attendees regarding the feedback from the spinners and the possible inclusion of long-staple cotton in the trials, aiming to align CSITC activities more closely with industry needs and expectations.

It was discussed that free samples would be provided to develop success stories. The International Cotton Advisory Committee (ICAC) and the USDA Agricultural Marketing Service (USDA-AMS) will determine the number of samples available. The Chair  and Mr Peter Wakefield, the Chair of PSAC, in consultation with Mr.  Drieling, will develop criteria for distributing these samples and outline a framework for documenting the success stories. The discussion on the role of the agent was not possible as Mr  Wakefield was unable to attend the CSITC meeting, both in person and virtually, due to travel arrangements.

Agenda Item 6: Review / revamp the role of CSITC (a) Rename and (b) Roles and Responsibilities of Members

The Chair initiated the discussion by expressing his initial inclination to rename CSITC to something shorter and more memorable. However, after reflection and considering the recognition CSITC has gained, he now favored retaining the name due to the widespread recognition of the CSITC acronym, likening it to known brands such as BMW or KFC, where the full meaning were less commonly known.

The Chair opened the floor to feedback on renaming CSITC. The consensus among members leaned towards maintaining the existing name due to its established recognition within the industry. Concerns were raised about the potential confusion and loss of identity that would accompany a name change, with comparisons made to ongoing usage of old names after rebranding in other contexts. Discussions touched on the idea that, similar to commercial brands, changing a well-established name might necessitate continued reference to the previous name, leading to a prolonged transition period.

The Chair proposed potentially simplifying the name to “ICAC Committee on CSITC,” replacing the word ‘Task Force’ with ‘Committee’. Further, the existing logo designed by Mr  was valued by the members and it was agreed that Mr Mike McCue, Director Communication ICAC, would consider the possibility of adding a cotton boll to the existing logo to enhance recognition and relevance.

The proposal of retaining the name CSITC and also replacing the Task Force with  Committee was accepted by the members.

On review of role and responsibilities of members, the Chair opened the discussion by recalling a conversation with Mr  Wakefield at the ICAC-PSAC meeting in India. This interaction inspired the consideration of formalizing roles and responsibilities within CSITC, similar to structures observed in other Committees of ICAC. The Chairmentioned that preliminary work on defining roles and responsibilities was initiated by Mr Axel Drieling and Dr Jean Paul Gourlot , which he had the opportunity to review and refine. The revised document aims to clarify expectations and enhance member engagement.

The Chairproposed the creation of an executive committee within CSITC to facilitate quicker decision-making and ongoing operational activities, drawing a parallel to the executive committee of the ICCTM Cotton Testing Committee and PSAC. This committee would allow for more dynamic and responsive governance of CSITC activities. The Chair expressed concern over the lack of participation from several long-standing members and suggested reaching out to their respective countries for updates or potential replacement to revitalize involvement.

The Chair highlighted the need for greater inclusion of member countries not currently active, suggesting that having representatives from underrepresented regions could enhance CSITC’s visibility and effectiveness.

The Chair proposed sending out the updated roles and responsibilities document to all members for feedback. He emphasized the importance of having clear and agreed-upon roles to ensure active participation and meaningful contribution from all members. Further, the members approved the proposal for the establishment of an Executive Committee.

Agenda Item 7: Review of Cost of Participation in CSITC Round Trial

The Chair highlighted the recent adjustment in participation costs, increased in September 2022 for the Round Trials commencing from January 2023, and the need to re-evaluate for potential increases effective from 2026. The Chair opened the floor for insights into whether an additional increase was necessary. Ms. Gretchen Deatherage representing USDA-AMS, said that her organization remains committed to the current costing without needing an immediate cost increase. Mr  Drieling also agreed that in order to retain the current membership, it is proposed not to increase the price for Round Trial for the year 2025 and we may review the decision in 2025 for any increase for the Round Trial starting from 2026. Mr  Trachtenberg also had the same opinion that participation should be increased rather than the increase in the price of the Round Trials. There was a consensus that whilst covering costs was essential, increasing fees may counteract efforts to boost participation. It was suggested that enhancing the perceived value of participation could precede any fee increases. The possibility of postponing any fee increase until after 2025 was discussed, with it was agreed to re-evaluate the situation at the end of 2025 for the 2026 fiscal year.

Agenda Item 8: Update of CSITC Guide

The Chair provided an update on the ongoing efforts to update the CSITC guide. He noted that the guide had been distributed to several members, including those from the ICCTM Committee, for feedback on its content. Numerous submissions have been received, mostly addressing grammatical and language improvements, with a few technical modifications suggested. The Chair thanked those who had already contributed, acknowledging the significant effort given the guide’s extensive length. The Chair announced plans to distribute the latest version of the guide to all members within the next few weeks for further review and finalization. The aim is to consolidate feedback and finalize the document within the next two months. A point was raised about the translation of the guide into several languages. It was emphasized that if changes are mainly grammatical or minor, they may not necessitate retranslation in all languages. However, significant technical changes would require updates across all versions to maintain consistency and accuracy.

Agenda Item 9: Explore opportunities for application to CFC for funding

The Chair opened the discussion by recalling past successful funding applications to the Common Fund for Commodities (CFC) by Mr l Drieling and Dr Gourlot some 10 years ago. The Chair suggested considering this avenue again to potentially add value to CSITC. Mr  Trachtenberg updated the committee on recent developments with CFC. He noted that the CFC’s business model has shifted from grants to loans, which might not align with CSITC’s funding needs as they no longer operate as a donor organization. This change poses a challenge for pursuing funding directly from CFC for future projects. Eric mentioned engagements with other development agencies interested in the textile sector, such as USAID and the European Commission, which are now focusing on textile industry development. These agencies might represent viable alternatives for partnership and funding.

The discussion highlighted the need to align any project proposals with the development-oriented goals of these potential new partners. The members agreed that while CFC might no longer be a suitable funding source, other opportunities for blended finance or partnerships with development agencies should be explored.

Agenda Item 10: Any other Item with the Permission of Chair

The Chair asked if there were any other issues or topics members felt needed to be addressed in the current meeting that had not been discussed yet.

No further points were raised.

The next meeting of CSITC will be held during the 82nd ICAC Plenary Meeting in Uzbekistan scheduled from 30th September to 3rd October 2024.

The Chair thanked ICAC and the Bremen Faserinstitut for arranging the meeting and ended the meeting with a note of thanks from and to the participants and the Chair.

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Dr Mansurbek Muminov is a senior scientist at the Scientific Research Institute of Fiber Crops in Uzbekistan. His efforts have focused on basic cotton ginning and spinning, and he has authored more than 10 comprehensive research papers in those areas.

 

Dr. Mansurbek Mo'minov is the Deputy Director for Scientific Affairs and Innovation at the Scientific Research Institute of Fiber Crops in Uzbekistan.

Dr. Keshav R. Kranthi, Ph.D is the Chief Scientist at the International Cotton Advisory Com­mittee (ICAC), Washington, DC. Before joining the ICAC, he served as the Director of the Central Institute for Cotton Research (CICR) in Nagpur, India, from 2008 to 2017. Dr. Kranthi has thirty-five years of experience as a cotton scientist. He received a gold medal in his Ph.D. in 1991 and has been honored with more than a dozen awards, including the Best CPP Program Award for Research Leadership by the Renewable Natural Resources Research International, UK; the ICAC Researcher of the Year Award in 2009; the Vasantrao Naik Smruti Pratisthan Award in 2004; the ICAR National Award for Leader of Best Team Research in 2006; Fellow of the National Academy of Agricultural Sciences in 2009; the ISCI Recognition Award in 2010; Krishi Gaurav Award in 2010; Bhumi Nirman Award in 2011; ISCI Fellow in 2017; the Plant Protection Recognition Award in 2016 by the National Academy of Agricultural Sciences; Suresh Kotak Global Cotton Award in 2023 and the CRDA life time achievement Award in 2024. Dr. Kranthi has four patents granted in South Africa, Mexico, China, and Uzbekistan, and six patent applications in India. He has published more than 100 peer-reviewed research papers, 20 books/handbooks/manuals, 17 book chapters, and more than 50 popular articles. Dr. Kranthi has presented invited talks and conducted training sessions in more than 40 countries. His research citations are in excess of 6,500. As the chief principal investigator, he coordinated and led more than 35 externally funded international collaboration research projects.

Dr. Charudatta Mayee, Ph.D is a distinguished Indian agricultural scientist and administrator with over five decades of contributions to Indian agriculture. Dr. Mayee currently serves as Adjunct Professor at IARI, New Delhi, and several ICAR institutions and universities. Dr Mayee served as Vice Chancellor of MAU Parbhani, Director of the Central Institute for Cotton Research (ICAR-CICR), Nagpur, and Agriculture Commissioner for the Government of India. Dr Mayee served as Vice President of the National Academy of Agricultural Sciences (NAAS) India. Dr. C.D. Mayee has received numerous accolades spanning five decades, recognizing his transformative contributions to agricultural science. He is an Alexander von Humboldt Fellow and has received lifetime achievement awards from multiple institutions. His early career was marked by the Prof. M.J. Narasimhan Academic Award (1974) and V.P. Gokhale Award (1998), followed by national honors like the Vasantrao Naik Krishi Award (2002), ICAR Outstanding Team Research Award (2003), and Dr. B. Vishwanath Award (2005). He received Lifetime Achievement Awards from the Indian Society for Cotton Improvement (2008), National Academy of Agricultural Sciences (2011), and Indian Phytopathological Society (2017), among others. Four universities conferred Honorary Doctorates (D.Sc.) for his pioneering work (2009–2023). Recent distinctions include the  Best Cotton Scientist Award (2022, Cotton Association of India), Krishi Maharshi for Cotton R&D (2024) and the winner of the ICAC Researcher of the Year Award 2025.

Dr. Khalid Mahmood is the Co-Founder of SAWiE, where he has been instrumental in developing digital farm advisory and farm data platforms supporting over 10,000 farmers in Pakistan, improving traceability and transparency across agricultural supply chains. He is leading the development of first-mile traceability systems and the TRUE Cotton platform, connecting farmers with sustainable global textile supply chains.

He also serves as Head of Partnerships at the British Society of Soil Science (BSSS), where he leads strategic collaborations to position soil health as a critical climate mitigation solution, linking soil management with carbon sequestration, water quality, air quality, and biodiversity restoration.

Trained as an Agricultural Economist (PhD, University of Göttingen, Germany), Dr. Mahmood combines strong scientific expertise with practical innovation to address global challenges in food security, ESG reporting, climate resilience, and sustainable agriculture.

His past work includes leadership in research programs on carbon reduction in rice and livestock systems, and collaboration with leading institutions such as Rothamsted Research, AHDB UK, and the Thünen Institute (Germany).

Dr. Mahmood is a Fellow of the Higher Education Academy (UK) and has contributed to international research and knowledge networks including IFCN and UPSIGN.

Recognized among the Net Zero 50 Leaders, he continues to advance international partnerships that place soil at the centre of regenerative agriculture, natural capital development, and ecosystem restoration.

 

Dr Olivier Zieschank studied Management at the university of Lausanne, where he graduated in 2005. Until 2010, he worked in a Swiss-based start-up that specialized in negotiating cell tower lease agreements, where he became associate director. In 2010, he returned to university and studied applied economics in Neuchatel, Switzerland. He wrote his PhD in Economics at the University of Freiberg, Germany, where he developed a theory of organization. Mr Zieschank was appointed Economist at the ITMF in August 2017 and became director in January 2021.

Ashwin Chandran holds a Bachelors Degree in Textile Technology from UMIST, UK and a Masters degree in Business Administration from the University of Illinois, USA.

He is currently the Chairman of the Confederation of Indian Textile Industry (CITI) and it’s subsidiary - Cotton Development and Research Association – CITI CDRA. CITI-CDRA works with Indian cotton farmers and collaborates with government bodies and research institutions to improve cotton productivity, promote farmer welfare and expand the knowledge of Indian cotton farmers on the subjects of sustainability, traceability and meeting compliance and certification requirements.

He is the Chairman & Managing Director of Precot Limited, a manufacturer of yarns, threads and cotton based non-woven hygiene products.

He is the Chairman of the Indian Textile Sector Skill Council, a member of the Council of Administration of The Cotton Textiles Export Promotion Council (TEXPROCIL) and is a past Chairman of the Southern India Mills Association (SIMA).

Mr. Shreyans Gupta is an officer of the Indian Revenue Service (IRS), currently serving as First Secretary at the Embassy of India in Washington D.C. In his current role, he oversees critical portfolios within the Income-tax Overseas Unit (ITOU) and the Commerce Wing, facilitating bilateral and multilateral cooperation.

Throughout his career, Mr. Gupta has held diverse positions involving both the implementation and policy-making aspects of Indian taxation. His expertise spans complex tax audits, financial and criminal investigations, International Taxation and administration of core IT platforms/infrastructure. He has also served as a delegate of India to various international tax organizations, contributing to high-level discourse on global tax cooperation frameworks

Eric Trachtenberg is the Executive Director of the International Cotton Advisory Committee (ICAC).

Before coming to ICAC, he oversaw more than $700 million in programs to improve food security, support agricultural transformation, and strengthen land productivity at the U.S. Millennium Challenge Corporation (MCC).

His earlier background includes service with USDA’s Foreign Agricultural Service (FAS) in the Russian Federation, China, and Taiwan where he resolved agricultural market access issues totaling more than $1.3 billion, designed and led investment facilitation initiatives that generated more than $10 billion in new activity, and oversaw export development programs worth $10 million.

He has a Masters in Agricultural Economics from Michigan State University, a Masters in Public Administration from the University of Southern California, and Bachelors degrees in Government and Economics from Cornell University.

Pia Terasa joined the textile machinery manufacturer Saurer over 25 years ago. She is responsible for marketing and communications at the group level. Coming originally from a non-textile background, market intelligence and business development have played major roles throughout her career. Her current main “hobby” is closely monitoring development of the textile recycling industry and circular economy.

Dr. Md. Fakhre Alam Ibne Tabib is the former Executive Director of the Cotton Development Board of Bangladesh, with over 32 years of experience in cotton production, research, and development. He has demonstrated strong leadership and communication skills in engaging with national and international stakeholders in the cotton sector.

His expertise spans Integrated Pest Management (IPM), Integrated Crop Management (ICM), and Good Agricultural Practices (GAP) with a focus on sustainable, regenerative, and organic cotton production. His research interests include high-density planting systems, planting geometry, intercropping, and innovative cropping patterns. Dr. Tabib is also proficient in ICT applications, project planning and monitoring, and scientific report writing.

Dr. Tabib has played a significant leadership role within the International Cotton Advisory Committee (ICAC), serving as Vice-Chair (2023–2024) and Chair (2024–2025) of its Standing Committee. The ICAC is an association of governments of cotton-producing, consuming, and trading countries, recognized by the United Nations as the international commodity body for cotton and related products.

In addition, he serves as Vice President of the Ecological Society of Bangladesh and contributes actively to the executive bodies of other social and scientific organizations. He earned his Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) in Cotton Cropping Systems in 2013.

Dr. Tabib has participated in numerous international programs, conferences, and study visits related to cotton across countries including the USA, Türkiye, Uzbekistan, India, Egypt, the Philippines, South Korea, and Malaysia. He has published 12 scientific papers and several articles on cotton in reputed national and international journals and magazines. He is also an active member of multiple professional associations and networks worldwide.

Dr. Elsie Sia Kanza is the current Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the United Republic of Tanzania to the United States of America and Mexico. Prior to that role, Ambassador Kanza served as Special Advisor to the President of the World Economic Forum, and, before that, Head of Africa and Member of Executive Committee for 10 years championing growth and development in Africa leveraging public private collaboration. In 2015, She was awarded a Doctorate in Business Administration (honoris causa) by the University of Strathclyde for the transformative impact achieved in Africa.

Ambassador Kanza also served in the government for a decade and a half as economic advisor to the President of the United Republic of Tanzania, as well as in various capacities with the Ministry of Finance and Central Bank of Tanzania.

In 2008, Ambassador Kanza became an Archbishop Tutu Leadership Fellow, and in 2011 a WEF Young Global Leader. She was also nominated as a Richard von Weizsacker Fellow and highlighted as one of Africa’s 50 most powerful women by Forbes in 2020. Additionally, she has served on various boards, including those of the African Leadership Institute - South Africa, Mercy Corps Europe, The Nature Conservancy Africa Council, and the Uongozi Institute.

Ambassador Kanza obtained a Bachelor’s degree from the United States International University – Africa in Business Administration and later graduated with a Master's degree in finance from the University of Strathclyde, United Kingdom and an MA in Development Economics, Center for Development Economics, Williams College, USA.

Alison Ward has over 30 years of international experience in sustainability and corporate affairs. Alison is the CEO of CottonConnect, where she leads a team of over 100 employees, impacting the lives of over 800,000 cotton farmers in India, China, Pakistan, Turkey, Egypt and Bangladesh.  Under Alison’s leadership the organization: drives supply chain transparency connecting sustainable fibres from farm to store; focuses on the rights and skills of women in supply chains through pioneering gender programmes; and continues to develop innovations at a farm level. She leads cotton strategies and programmes for global brands and retailers.

Previously Alison worked with Mondelez International and Kraft Foods and was the Global Head of Corporate Responsibility at Cadbury.

With a mission to drive scalable change, Alison served as a Member of the Sustainable Cotton Steering Committee for Textile Exchange.  She sat on the Sustainability Advisory Committee for the London Olympic Games and has been a Coach and Mentor to commercial teams at WWF and the Ethical Trade Initiative. Alison is also a Life fellow of the RSA- Royal Society of Arts, Manufactures and Commerce.

Alison has completed the Senior Executive Programme at Ashridge Business School and the Business & Sustainability Programme at the Cambridge Institute for Sustainability Leadership. She holds a BA Hons in English from the University of Birmingham.

 

 

With more than 43 years of experience in textiles and fibre processing, Marinus has extensive commercial knowledge of all facets of the cotton production pipeline from field to fabric, specialising in yarn manufacturing and quality. Amongst others, he is a certified quality expert and is the current chair of ICAC’s Task Force for the Commercial Standardisation of Instrument Testing of Cotton. He is also an executive member of the Australian Cotton Ginners Association and the ITMF International Committee on Cotton Testing Methods. Marinus is also a member of the ITMF Spinners Committee and the Cotton Classing Association of Australia, and is the Australian fibre quality technical expert.
He has authored many articles and technical reports and has been invited to present at numerous domestic and international conferences. He has managed to secure a large and diverse number of projects, service agreements, and commission cotton textile processing work. He has won many awards, including the prestigious Australian Cotton Researcher of the Year Award.

Navdeep Singh Sodhi began his career at India’s largest cotton-textile company and has 35+ years of international experience in mill operations and management consulting. His expertise includes strategic policy, technology and international trade and investment. With experience in over 50 countries, he advises an international clientele and has conducted multiple international studies on the cotton-textile value chain. These include the global benchmarking study to evaluate the competitiveness of India’s textile industry for the Cotton Textile Export Promotion Council (TEXPROCIL). He contributed to the formulation of the perspective plan for the Indian textile engineering industry (TEI). Mr Sodhi has been supporting the campaign for transformation of cotton in C-4 Countries + Côte d’Ivoire in West Africa and led the flagship study in West Africa commissioned by IFC (World Bank Group) that was recently presented at the World Cotton Day 2023 commemorated under the auspices of UNIDO in Vienna. Mr Sodhi is a partner with Gherzi Textil Organisation, Switzerland, and a Chartered Fellow (C.Text FTI) of the Textile Institute in Manchester, England.

Experienced professional with over 42 years of expertise in textile plant management, business establishment, plant turnaround, managing turnkey projects and overseeing large textile operations across three continents. Successfully initiated new factories in Asia, Africa, the Middle East, and North America. Has been business head responsible for P&L of large textile operation in Canada and USA.

Holds a Bachelor’s degree in Textile Technology from PSG College of Technology, India.

Key areas of expertise include:

  • Turnkey project management
  • Turnaround of large textile plants in diverse geographical locations
  • Establishment and management of businesses in various regions
  • Strategic, financial, and marketing planning and execution for textile plants
  • Product development
  • Customer relationship management

Name: Mary Concilia Anchang
Company: Onambele Anchang & Associates
Country: Cameroon
Position: Managing Partner
Website: www.oaalawfirm.com

Executive Chair

The African Chamber of Trade and Commerce ACC

Email: oaalawpartners2@gmail.com, africanchambernetwork@gmail.com

Websites www.africanchamber-abo.org  www.ficota.org

Called to the Cameroon Bar in 1993, Barrister Mary Concilia Anchang epse Onambele, is the managing partner at Onambele Anchang & Associates (OAALAW). She demonstrates consistency and dedication in 32 years of National and international legal work and advocacy. Renown for her legal prowess, her ability to delve into unconventional and controversial topics, has earned her access to several platforms at all levels, in the society. In her persuasive urge to address stubborn societal problems in the continent, she has created several tools to express her opinion and drive policy in a wide range of business sectors. She addresses legal, social and economic problems, with the perspective to contribute in crafting novel schemes, policies and practices to oblige relevance and impact for the welfare and livelihood of communities.

Her law practice, a full-service corporate law firm, serves a broad range of businesses in various industry sectors. Client satisfaction is pivotal at OAALA. Her firm is one of the most sought-after contemporary lawyers in the continent of Africa. Passionate, engaging and focus driven, her peers revere her resolve to address challenging matters in a friendly and dialogue mode. Her brilliance, and keen eye for detail earns great recognition from her clients.

She is the pioneer African IP lawyer, accredited with the African organization of Intellectual & Industrial property (OAPI) with jurisdiction in 17 countries since 1994.

In 1998, curious and concerned about Africa`s significant dependence on foreign intellectual property assets and imports of goods and services into the continent, she founded; “The Foundation for the Promotion of Inventions, Innovations, and Artistic Designs” (FPI) to promote research and development for African discoveries, talents, traditional Knowledge and know-how for validation of discoveries for local use and exports to global markets.

Retained in 1998, to advise the Cameroon Association of Inventors and Innovators, she represented a medicinal cure for hepatitis, known under the trademark ''HEPASOR,” at d the International Exhibition Fair (INPEX) in 1999 in Pittsburgh, where FPI met with Dr. Nakammatz, the renown Japanese inventor of Viagra.

Then followed, the BBC Tomorrow’s World London Exhibition Fair in 1999, where FPI received an award from Mr. John Trevors, the renowned British inventor of the “Touch lamp” for her exhibitions.

From 2001 -2006, she accompanied one of Africa`s most revolutionary, controversial and nonconventional research initiatives in HIV /AIDS for therapeutic vaccines. This discovery, led by one of Africa`s most renown Professors, a Surgeon and international award price winner for research in the treatment of retrovirus for Burkitt’s Cancer, Sickle cell and HIV /AIDS. At a time when HIV/AIDs was ravaging lives in the Continent of Africa, she played a very compelling advocacy role at all fronts, while advising on the patentability, design and trademark ownership of the Vaccine process across the globe.

As Cofounder of the Cameroon National Committee of the International Chamber of Trade & Commerce (ICC Cameroon) in 2021, she stunned the continent, in 2006, with her nomination by the World Business Council, of The International Chamber of Trade & Commerce (ICC) Paris, as the pioneer, African, female country, court member, at the ICC International Court of Arbitration, since its creation in 2023. A mandate she held 4 years..

From 2004 -2014, as a member of the ICC Paris Intellectual property (IP) and the Arbitration commissions, she contributed with experts from governments, Civil society, multinationals, intra governmental organizations, institutions and businesses, through successive annual COP Conferences, to address policy reviews on the global climate change Agenda, that lead to the signing of, the Paris convention in 2015 on climate change.

Coupled with her legal practice, she founded & Chairs “The African Chamber of Trade & Commerce” (ACC), a non-profit and non-governmental, private sector chamber, aimed at using Public, Private Partnerships (PPPs) as a strategic tool to build sustainable and resilient infrastructures. The aim is to avoid duplication and stagnation for gainful entrepreneurial business practices.

Focal on the ACC agenda, is her advocacy for Tripartite Partnerships, that would engage expertise in, North/South, South/South and North/North business ventures. This should invariably contribute towards impactful and traceable development in local African communities. Through this initiative, she pledges to bring her expertise and knowledge into a project, she is deeply passionate about, and believes could shift paradigms in the  continent.. That is; “Institutional Advocacy for 'Africa's Socio-Economic Development."

Convinced of the need to promote IP asset ownership in Africa for improved wealth for entrepreneurial self-reliant opportunities, she believes validating African inventions and innovations, would pave the way for IP ownership and knowledge transfer for capital markets.

She has since 2018 created “The International Forum for cotton, textiles, accessories & Fashion (FICOTA) to address the African Cotton value chain and supply chains, as pivotal for talents to create wealth and job opportunities in Africa.

In prelude to the 4th edition of FICOTA, coming up in November 2026, in Cairo, Egypt, she will be Speaking at the ICAC 83rd plenary conference coming up in Tanzania in November 2025, on the role of National policies for African textiles.

Transforming Cotton into Textile and things in Africa is a vision, FICOTA promotes for optimization and industrialization of African cotton and Textiles. The game changer for. (www.africanchamber-abo.org) FICOTA is created to facilitate sustainability and optimization in the African cotton value and supply chains from “Seed to Fashion” or from “Farm to Market” through value addition. (www.ficota.org ) The focus is on adapting ecosystems for Africa`s industrialization in the textiles industry.

The plurality, multi-culturalism and multidimensionality of ACC, provides a structure with the unique capacity for institutions and stakeholders to create adaptive business models, based on sector needs of partners. The purpose is to facilitate harmonious growth with efficient ecosystems, to implement attainable goals, through value addition, in local value and supply chains.

Accolades and Publications:

2016, OAALAW won the “AI African Award of Excellence.

2018, Recognized amongst 100 of the finest professional Women in a book titled “Women Pioneer In Dispute Resolutions” by Arbitral Women.

2019 Published an article on IP Funding: A Key to Entrepreneurial Development Through IP Asset Ownership in Africa in the London based “Women's IP Magazine

2020/21, Profiled in the Magazine “Rising Women”.

2023, Appointed Member of the International Cotton Advisory Committee/Private Sector Advisory Committee (PSAC)

2023, she was nominated as Executive member of the African Private Sector Summit. (APSS)

2024 she organized the 3rd Edition of the International Forum for Cotton, Textiles, Accessories & Fashion (FICOTA) in the sea site Ocean city, of Kribi, Cameroon.

2025, she published an article on “The Mystery, Power, Purpose and Ownership of Talent & Knowledge” in the London based “Women's IP Magazine”

She was nominated and ranked as the No. 6 in the Policy and Advocacy category for the Top 100 Influential Women Leaders in IP Law.

She is a current member of several association International Trademark Association (INTA), American Bar Association, Arbitral Women, Association of OAPI IP Agents, (AMOAPI), Foundation for the Promotion of Inventors ,Innovators  (FPI), Maman Eucharist du Mont Febe (MEMO) African Private Summit (APPSS), Africa US international Chamber of Commerce and Industry (AfUSA)  ACC and other

She enjoys travelling, music, sports, praying, and supporting charities.

 

Besim Özek

Strategy & Business Development Director

Following his graduation from Tarsus American College and Cukurova University Mechanical Engineering, he has taken a large and vital business role in Logistics and Purchasing Departments for over 20 years.

He is now Strategy and Business Development  Director in BOSSA which is one of the largest Denim Producers is Turkey. He has been very involved in Sustainable Textile Production.

He had been active presenting the company in;

  • Turkish Exporters Assembly, ITHIB (Member of Board)
  • Turkish Cotton Textile Manufacturer ‘s Union (Member of Board)
  • Turkish National Cotton Council (Member of Board)
  • The Union of Chambers and Commodity, Turkish Textile Industry Assembly

Twitter Besim Ozek:      @besimozek

Linkedin Besim Ozek:    besim-ozek

SIDDHARTHA RAJAGOPAL, Executive Director – TEXPROCIL

Dr. Siddhartha Rajagopal is the Executive Director of the Cotton Textiles Export Promotion Council (TEXPROCIL). He holds a PhD in Management Studies and has nearly four decades of experience in international trade in textiles and clothing.

Over his career, he has worked across the entire textile value chain—from fibre to fashion—and has been part of several Government of India delegations and negotiating groups, including bilateral engagements with the USA, the European Union, and consultations at the WTO.

Dr. Rajagopal has played a key role in developing export promotion schemes, market development strategies, and organizing India’s participation in international textile exhibitions and trade delegations. He is currently involved in the implementation of the “Kasturi Cotton India” project in collaboration with the Cotton Corporation of India and the Ministry of Textiles.

Padmini Singla, Joint Secretary, Ministry of Textiles, Government of India

Padmini Singla is a career civil servant from India with over two decades of leadership roles in public administration. Currently serving as the Joint Secretary in the Ministry of Textiles, she spearheads the strategic development and policy framework for Natural Fibres, including Cotton.

An alumna of Delhi School of Economics, she holds an Executive Master’s from EPFL, Switzerland.