Garment and textile product manufacturers are hoping that due to elections in several states, the Union government will not upset the voters, especially the business community, and several relief measures will be given to them in this Budget. They are of the view that along with starting interest subsidy on bank loans, scrapping of proposal to hike GST on garments and textile, the rates of customs duty on import of fibre for yarns should be reduced. Speaking to the TOI, Vinod Thapar, chairman of the Knitwear Club, says, “We have high hopes from this Budget and the biggest relief, which the entire textile and garment industry wants, is reduction of basic customs duty on import of fibres of different kinds that are used in yarn production. For the past one year, we are battling high increase in the rates of raw materials, like yarn, due to which the cost of production of garments and textiles has gone up and profit margins have shrunk. If the finance minister goes ahead with the reduction in customs duty on fibres, it will provide a cushion to the yarn manufacturers and they will be able to reduce the rates of their products, which will in turn benefit the garment and textile product manufacturers.” Hemant Abbi, executive member of Moti Nagar United Factory Association, feels the major issue bothering the garment and textile industry is the proposed hike in GST to 12% from 5%, which was to come into effect from January 1 this year, but was temporarily deferred by the GST council. “We cannot rest until the proposal to hike the GST is fully scrapped. We request Union finance minister Nirmala Seetharaman to cancel this hike, which has been giving us sleepless nights. Besides, the government should also consider making the income tax returns filing simpler and also increase the income tax exemption limit to aid small businessmen.” According to Narinder Mittal, general secretary of Ludhiana Business Forums and a garment manufacturer, “We need to support the micro and small units engaged in manufacturing garments, and the best Centre can do at this moment is reduce the bank interest on loans. Besides, an easy interest subsidy scheme on bank loans for small industries should be started, under which the manufacturers should be paid back the interest charged in ratio of the turnover of the borrower. This step will give a huge financial support to the garment sector, which has seen tough two years.”
Source: Times of India
The President of India, Shri Ram Nath Kovind addressed the joint sitting of two Houses of the Parliament, here today. The President, in his address, highlighted the PM MITRA Parks and various initiatives taken by the Centre to boost the integrated textile value chain. In his speech, the President said, “Along with developing new areas, my government is restoring our traditional strength in domains in which we possess centuries of experience. In this direction, my government has approved seven Mega Integrated Textile Regions and Apparel Parks with an investment of about Rupees 4,500 crore. This will facilitate integrated textile value chain. These mega textile parks will attract both Indian and foreign investors, and create lakhs of new employment opportunities”. Referring to the 14 key PLI schemes with an outlay of more than Rupees 1 lakh 97 thousand crore launched by the Government to fully realize the potential of the manufacturing sector and to create new opportunities for the youth, the President said these PLI schemes will not only help transform India as a global manufacturing hub but also create over 60 lakh jobs.
Source: PIB
Revenues for month of January 2022 were 15% higher than GST revenues in the same month last year and 25% higher than the GST revenues in January 2020 GST collection in January crossed Rs 1.38 trillion in January, a growth of 15 per cent over the year-ago period, on pick up in economic activity and anti-evasion measures, the Finance Ministry said on Monday. Total number of GSTR-3B returns filed up to January 30, 2022, is 10.5 million, which includes 3.6 million quarterly returns. January is the fourth month when Goods and Services Tax (GST) collection has crossed the Rs 1.3 trillion-mark, and seventh month in a row when it crossed the Rs 1 trillionmark. In December the collection was over Rs 1.29 trillion. "The gross GST revenue collected in the month of January 2022 till 3 PM on January 31, 2022, is Rs 1,38,394 crore of which CGST is Rs 24,674 crore, SGST is Rs 32,016 crore, IGST is Rs 72,030 crore (including Rs 35,181 crore collected on import of goods) and cess is Rs 9,674 crore (including Rs 517 crore collected on import of goods)," the ministry said. The highest monthly GST collection has been Rs 1.39 trillion in the month of April 2021. The revenues for the month of January 2022 are 15 per cent higher than the GST revenues in the same month last year and 25 per cent higher than the GST revenues in January 2020. "Coupled with economic recovery, anti-evasion activities, especially action against fake billers have been contributing to the enhanced GST. The improvement in revenue has also been due to various rate rationalisation measures undertaken by the council to correct inverted duty structure," the ministry said. It is expected that the positive trend in the revenues will continue in the coming months as well, it added. During the month, revenue from import of goods was 26 per cent higher and the revenues from domestic transaction (including import of services) are 12 per cent higher than the revenues from these sources during the same month last year. About 67 million e-way bills were generated in the month of December 2021, which is 14 per cent higher than 58 million e-way bills generated in the month of November 2021. Deloitte India Partner M S Mani said the fact that the collections are now inching closer to the Rs 1.4 trillion monthly mark leads to expectations of high but stable GST collections in the FY'23 budgetary exercise. "The continuing increase in collections both on domestic transactions and import transactions viewed together with the recent increases in export revenues, would provide more fiscal headroom in the FY23 budget calculations," Mani said.
Source: Business Standard
Further in a major support to enhance the competitiveness of the sector, the government notified the setting up of 7 PM mega integrated textiles region and apparel park (MITRA) parks in October 2021 with a total outlay of Rs. 4,445 crore. Economic Survey 2002 has estimated the production-linked incentive (PLI) scheme will result in fresh investment of Rs 19,000 crore in the textile sector over the next five years. This could result in a cumulative turnover of over Rs 3 lakh crore and create over 7.5 lakh additional job opportunities in this sector. The textile industry is the second largest employment generator in the country, next only to agriculture. “In the last decade, close to Rs 203,000 crore have been invested in this industry with direct and indirect employment of about 105 million people, a major part of which is women,” the survey said. Despite being deeply affected by the lockdowns, the industry has shown remarkable recovery, as reflected by the Index of Industrial Production of 3.6 percent during April-October 2020. poli“Production-Linked Incentive (PLI) Scheme for Man-Made Fiber (MMF) segment and technical textiles, notified in September 2021, for enhancing India’s manufacturing capabilities and enhancing exports will focus on promotion of 40 MMF apparel and 10 technical textiles lines and create global champions,” the survey said. “Further in a major support to enhance the competitiveness of the sector, the government notified the setting up of 7 PM mega integrated textiles region and apparel park (MITRA) parks in October 2021 with a total outlay of Rs. 4,445 crore. The scheme is expected to further the vision of Atmanirbhar Bharat and to position India strongly on the global textiles map,” the survey said. It added that PM MITRA, inspired by 5Fs—farm to fibre to factory to fashion to foreign— will strengthen the textile sector by developing integrated large-scale and modern industrial infrastructure facilities for the entire value chain of the textile industry. It is expected to reduce the logistics cost and will help India in attracting investments, and boosting employment generation, it said. Competitiveness Incentive Support (CIS) of Rs 300 Crore will also be provided to each PM MITRA Park for early establishment of textiles manufacturing units. “Such support is crucial for a new project which has not been able to break even and needs support till it is able to scale up production and be able to establish its viability. PM MITRA Park will be developed by a Special Purpose Vehicle which will be owned by the State Government and Government of India, in a Public Private Partnership (PPP) Mode,” the Survey said.
Source: Money Control
Inflation has reappeared as a global issue in both advanced and emerging economies. With wholesale price inflation (WPI) running in double-digits, the Economic Survey 2021-22 said India need to be wary of imported inflation, especially from elevated global energy prices. However, it said the high WPI is partly due to base effects that will even out. Inflation has reappeared as a global issue in both advanced and emerging economies. India’s Consumer Price Index (CPI) inflation stood at 5.6% on year in December 2021 which is within the targeted tolerance band (of 4% +/- 2%). WPI, after remaining very benign during the previous fiscal on account of Covid- induced weakening of economic activity, record low global crude prices and weak demand, witnessed a sharp uptick, rising to 12.5% during 2021-22 (April-December). This was attributable to the pick-up in economic activity, sharp rise in international prices of crude oil and other imported inputs, and high freight costs. The consequent divergence between CPI-C and WPI inflation during the year remained a subject of debate. This divergence can be explained by factors such as variations due to base effect, difference in scope and coverage of the two indices, their price collections, items covered and difference in commodity weights,” the Survey noted. “Further, WPI is more sensitive to cost-push inflation led by imported inputs. With the gradual waning of base effect in WPI, the divergence in CPI-C inflation and WPI inflation is also expected to narrow down.” CPI moderated to 5.2% in 2021-22 (April-December) from 6.6% in the corresponding period of 2020-21. The decline in retail inflation was led by easing of food inflation. WPI, however, has been running in double-digits with inflation in ‘fuel and power’ group above 20% reflecting higher international petroleum prices. Monetary policy and liquidity operations since the beginning of the pandemic have geared towards mitigating its adverse impact on economy. In 2021-22, some of the measures undertaken by RBI like CRR cut reached pre-set sunset dates, liquidity has been wound down partly but remains in surplus mode and regulatory measures have been realigned, the Survey noted.
Source: Financial Express
FY22 growth may NOW dip to 8.8% vs 9.2% estimated earlier; core growth across eight sectors clocks 8.4% India’s economic growth in financial year 2021-22 (FY22) may dip to 8.8 per cent from the 9.2 per cent estimated earlier as the statistics office on Monday said the coronavirus pandemic had a lesser debilitating effect on the economy in FY21 than what was estimated earlier. The first revised estimates of gross domestic product (GDP) data for FY21 released by the National Statistical Office (NSO) showed GDP contracted 6.6 per cent, against the 7.3 per cent dip estimated earlier. This creates a less favourable base for FY22, thus dragging down GDP growth to 8.8 per cent. The NSO also revised down GDP growth for FY19 to 3.7 per cent from the earlier estimate of 4 per cent. “FY21 GDP contraction pegged at -6.6 per cent from -7.3 per cent earlier. FY20 numbers revised to 3.7 per cent from 4 per cent. At this rate, FY22 growth rate is now at 8.8 per cent. We expect a further jump in FY23 estimates. However, all changes are purely of [the] base in FY20 as of now,” State Bank of India’s Chief Economist Soumya Kanti Ghosh tweeted. Aditi Nayar, chief economist at ICRA Ratings, said: “In terms of the components of GDP, the improvement between the preliminary and revised estimates was broad-based, led by a considerable uptick in private consumption and valuables, followed by government expenditure and net exports as well as a mild revision in gross fixed capital formation. However, there was a sharp downward revision in inventories for FY21,” she added. Core sectors Growth in the eight infrastructure sectors picked up in December to 3.8 per cent as the impact of heavy rains eased, data released by the industry department showed. It had dipped to a nine-month low of 3.1 per cent in November. However, core sector growth remained considerably lower than 8.4 per cent expansion seen in October. The disaggregated data reveals mixed cues, with two industries contracting (steel and crude oil), two reporting double-digit expansion (cement and natural gas), and the rest displaying a modest 2-6 per cent rise. “We expect the IIP to report a feeble rise of less than 2 per cent in December, and print below the expansion displayed by the core sector for the fourth consecutive month,” Nayar said. Fiscal deficit The central government managed to contain its fiscal deficit at 50.4 per cent of Budget Estimates during April-December period of FY22, compared with 145.5 per cent a year ago, on account of sustained revenue collection and targeted expenditure by the government, data released by the Controller General of Accounts showed. Capex spiked in December, with overall capex by central government ministries now standing at 70.7 per cent in the period, still lower than 75 per cent in the year-ago period. “We anticipate government spending to record a robust momentum in Q4FY22, similar to what was seen in Q4FY21, especially on those items that were included in the Second Supplementary Demand for Grants, such as food and fertiliser subsidies, export incentives/remissions under various export promotion schemes,” Nayar said.
Source: Business Standard
India has been negotiating FTAs with several partners, both bilateral and regional, for the past many years with a view to promote India's exports. The Economic Survey on Monday pitched for giving a push to the ongoing negotiations for the proposed free-trade agreements (FTAs) as these pacts will help in diversifying the country's export basket and destinations. It added that India has diversified its export destinations in the past 25 years, yet more than 40 per cent of the country's exports is still accounted for by only seven countries. India has been negotiating FTAs with several partners, both bilateral and regional, for the past many years with a view to promote India's exports. "A further push in this direction would help provide the institutional arrangements to, inter alia, diversify both products and destinations," it said. In a free-trade pact, two countries either significantly reduce or eliminate customs duties on the maximum number of goods traded between them. These pacts help provide a competitive edge to exporters. Trade experts have stated that early conclusion and implementation of these agreements will help in boosting the country's exports. India is negotiating such FTAs with countries including the UK, Australia, European Union (EU), Canada and the UAE. It is also reviewing its existing trade agreements with nations such as Singapore and ASEAN. "Negotiations are complete for agreement with the UAE and at the advance stage with Australia," the Survey said. It also stated that India's merchandise exports touched USD 301.4 billion during AprilDecember this fiscal. "This shows that India is well on track as far as attaining the export target is concerned," it said adding that out of an ambitious export target of USD 400 billion set for 2021-22, India has already attained more than 75 per cent. "Sharp recovery in key markets; increased consumer spending; pent-up savings and disposable income due to the announcement of fiscal stimulus by major economies; global commodity price rise and an aggressive export push by the government have bolstered exports in 2021-22," it added. Initiatives like Remission of Duties and Taxes on Exported Products (RoDTEP), Developing District as Export Hub, and production-linked incentive (PLI) scheme will help in pushing the country's exports and manufacturing. The Survey said that owing to the recovery of global demand coupled with a revival in domestic activity, India's merchandise exports and imports rebounded strongly and surpassed pre-COVID-19 levels during the current financial year. The US, followed by the UAE and China, remained the top export destinations in AprilNovember 2021, while China, the UAE and the US were the largest import sources for India. It added that China's share in India's imports has reduced to 15.5 per cent AprilNovember 2021, from 17.7 per cent in the corresponding period of the previous year, which reflects increased diversification of India's import sources. Further, it said that a strong rebound in exports and imports have led to an increase in the merchandise trade deficit. It stood at USD 142.4 billion in April-December 2021, compared with USD 61.4 billion in the year-ago period. Talking about global trade, it said that overall, the balance of risks for global trade is tilted to the downside and the biggest downside risk emanates from the pandemic itself, particularly with the resurgence of new variants such as Omicron. In addition to the surge in global inflation, longer port delays, higher freight rates, shortage of shipping containers, shortage of inputs such as semiconductors, with supply-side disruptions being exacerbated by a recovery in demand, pose significant risks for global trade. "Against this backdrop, India's external sector has shown immense resilience during the year, which augurs well for growth revival in the economy," it added. On services trade, the Survey said India's services exports recorded growth of 18.4 per cent to USD 177.7 billion during 2021-22 (April-December). "This is mainly on account of the top-three computer, business and transportation services that constitute more than 80 per cent of total services exports," it added.
Source: Economic Times
Brand will present an exclusive collection at a global fashion week Reliance Brands (RBL), the brand licensing arm of Reliance Industries (RIL), has entered into a 60:40 joint venture (JV) with fashion designer Rahul Mishra to create a new readyto-wear (pret) business. The brand will grow “both vertically and horizontally” to cross-pollinate creativity further in the fields of accessories, footwear, home, beauty, and jewellery for a worldwide audience, said a joint statement. It will have a global footprint with dedicated flagship stores at fashion capitals the world over in the next five years. Mishra will be the brand’s creative director. “Joining forces with the designer, the new brand will be synonymous with excellence and creativity the world over, presenting an exclusive ready-to-wear collection at one of the global fashion weeks,” it added. In 2014, he became the first Indian to win the coveted Woolmark Prize at the Milan Fashion Week. “Mishra’s flawless contemporary design sense and stunningly intricate pieces have spotlighted Indian expertise in crafts globally. Accompanied with his expertise in leveraging international fashion fora to accelerate brand building and creating a global customer base, it’s the perfect secret sauce to co-create a global brand. It’s a strategic part of our ongoing commitment to nurture Indian art and culture,” said Isha Ambani, director, Reliance Retail Ventures, the holding company of all retail companies under the oil-to-telecommunication behemoth RIL. RBL is expanding its play into the luxury and retail landscape. Last year, it entered into strategic partnerships with investments in Manish Malhotra’s eponymous brand. It also has equity investments in fashion designer Raghavendra Rathore’s company. RBL, which began operations in 2007, has 680 stores and 916 shop-in-shops in India. It has a portfolio of brand partnerships which includes AK-OK, Armani Exchange, Bally, Bottega Veneta, Burberry, Canali, Coach, Diesel, Dune, Emporio Armani, Ermenegildo Zegna, Gas, Giorgio Armani, Hamleys, Hugo Boss, Jimmy Choo, Michael Kors, Mothercare, Muji, Paul & Shark, Paul Smith, Pottery Barn, Ritu Kumar, Salvatore Ferragamo, Satya Paul, Steve Madden, Superdry, Scotch & Soda, Tiffany & Co, Versace, Villeroy & Boch, and West Elm.
Source: Business Standard
The Bangladesh Textile Mills Association (BTMA) recently sought cent per cent import duty exemption for all types of fibre as the global demand for diversified clothes has been on the rise. It also suggested raising the wastage rate for producing yarn from raw cotton to 17 per cent from 10 per cent. The government allows duty-free import of five types of traditional fibres—raw cotton, polyester staple, viscose staple, tensile and flux fibre. "Nowadays, our foreign buyers specify fabrics and fibres for their ordered clothes. So, textile mills are importing many little-known fibres, apart from the traditional ones, as per their requirements," BTMA president Mohammad Ali Khokon wrote in a letter to the ministry of commerce. Even, the fibres are not on the customs schedule containing the Harmonised System (HS) codes (a standardised numerical method of classifying traded products). As a result, textile mills import the little-known items under HS codes for similar products. Unfortunately, the customs authorities sometimes identify such imports as false declarations and fine importers," Khokon said, adding that it was not the fault of importers. He urged the government to take necessary steps for hassle-free imports and exempt duties on all the non-traditional fibres to promote export diversification and expansion, according to Bangla media reports. Non-traditional fibres include synthetic staple, linen, Lycra T-40, Remie, acrylic staple, cationic cotton, textured, metallic, pulled fibres and PCW. The BTMA, in the letter, requested the ministry to brief the National Board of Revenue about the matter so that the revenue agency can consider the duties exemption in formulating the national budget of the upcoming fiscal. The trade body also requested the government to continue the 15 per cent corporate tax rate facility until 2026 for companies in the sector. The tax waiver is supposed to end in June this year, which the sector has been enjoying since 2019-20 fiscal. The association said the reduced corporate tax rate helped them increase capital and continuing such a facility would also benefit the government in the long run. The trade body also demanded reducing import-duties on textile parts like capital machinery to 1 per cent from the existing 26-104 per cent and cutting down value-added tax on locally manufactured yarn to Tk 3 per kg. Currently, it is Tk 6 per kg. Mentioning that the real wastage rates in yarn production were higher than government fixed rates, the organisation called for increasing the rates to 17 per cent for the yarn for raw cotton, up from the existing 7-10 per cent. It suggested a 34 per cent wastage rate for producing yarn for export purposes, which is currently 10-12 per cent.
Source: Fibre 2 Fashion
A landmark report from global non-profit Textile Exchange has highlighted that a transition to regenerative agriculture is fundamental to the long-term health of the fashion and textile industry. As brands face an increasing risk from disruptions to fiber production from climate impacts and biodiversity loss, regenerative agricultural approaches can play a key role in helping farmers develop more resilient systems, bringing immense social and environmental benefits to the industry and beyond. Textile Exchange, who’s sponsors include Kering, J.Crew Group and CottonConnect, has developed the Regenerative Agriculture Landscape Analysis to providing the fashion and textile industry with a framework and toolkit to credibly understand, implement and describe the benefits of work in this space.
Key takeaways of the report:
• A transition to regenerative agriculture is fundamental for the fashion and textile industry. The long-term health of the sector will depend on how it is able to work with farmers to develop more resilient systems, and regenerative practices offer immense social and environmental benefits too. • Regenerative agriculture can’t be defined in a single statement or set of practices. It is contextual and nuanced, and instead calls for a fundamentally holistic systems approach that puts humans and ecosystems at its core. • Programs should be rooted in justice, equity, and livelihoods. Indigenous advocates call for an acknowledgement of the Indigenous roots of regenerative agriculture and of past and current racial injustice to underpin future work. • Regenerative agriculture is about much more than increasing soil carbon levels. While evolving soil science is calling into question exactly how long-term soil carbon sequestration works, holistic regenerative systems have documented interdependent co-benefits related to biodiversity, water availability and quality, climate resilience, and livelihoods too.
In mapping out the important considerations for the industry, Textile Exchange hopes to enable companies to understand how to approach and engage in regenerative agriculture projects and partnerships. The report also addresses an important gap seen in the discussion to date: the need to acknowledge the Indigenous and Native roots of this concept and to include racial and social justice as critical components of any system termed “regenerative.” It highlights the importance for brands to clearly articulate their vision and intentions as they invest in regenerative agriculture, and to ensure that social justice and livelihoods are embedded in their approaches. These interlocking themes lead to its top-line conclusion: For fashion, regenerative agriculture is an opportunity for investment in a fundamentally different system that moves beyond the current extractive one. Going forward, Textile Exchange calls on brands to invest in inclusive and credible regenerative agriculture projects that can boost the resilience of the industry within our planetary boundaries. Brands should also ensure that those who are the direct stewards of the land, including Indigenous people, communities of color, and farmers, or their chosen representatives, have an active decision-making role in any regenerative project from the start. Beth Jensen, Climate+ Strategy Director, Textile Exchange said: “Regenerative agriculture is about growing raw materials in alignment with natural systems and Indigenous practices. It’s a complete contrast to the extractive approach that has become the norm in recent years, but it doesn’t fit neatly into a single definition or set of practices. While this can be a challenge for companies, it’s also an opportunity to lift up farmers and growers as the essential leaders in this movement.”
Source: Fashion United
Sri Lanka’s garment and textile industry has an ambitious target of USD 8 billion export target by 2025 amid the stronger demand witnessed in 2021. After the dip witnessed in 2020 owing to COVID – 19, recovery in the global context is expected to favor apparel and fabric manufacturers in Sri Lanka, according to FC Research. With imported raw materials amounting to USD 2- 3.billion, local textile manufactures can significantly enhance their contribution. An opportunity exists for fabric manufacturers (TJL, MGT and HELA) to capture the market share by enhancing its capacity. With an improved industry look, and the continued interest in reducing China exposure, US fashion companies actively explore new sourcing opportunities. The global apparel market is projected to grow in value from USD 1.5 trillion in 2020 to about USD 2.2 trillion by 2025, showing that the demand for clothing and shoes is on the rise across the world. The apparel industry lost an estimated USD 342.0 billion in 2020 revenue compared to 2019 due to the COVID -19. The Asia Pacific region is the largest apparel market in the world, consuming 33 % of global demand. Western Europe is second with 28 % of the global apparel market, while Africa represents the smallest share of global demand. More than 85 % of respondents plan to increase sourcing from a few Asian countries over the next two years including India, Bangladesh, Indonesia, Philippines, Vietnam, Cambodia and Sri Lanka.
Source: Daily News
Under the European Union (EU)-funded SwitchMed programme, the United Nations Industrial Development Organisation (UNIDO) and the Swedish denim brand Nudie Jeans have since 2020 collaborated on a pilot project in Tunisia to demonstrate the viability of sourcing and reintroducing recycled textile fibres from second-quality products to fabricate new jeans. According to a recent report, the pilot project managed to repurpose 6,530 pairs of second quality jeans into 16,000 new pairs of jeans with a composition of 20 per cent of recycled cotton. Together with Nudie Jeans’ local suppliers, the collaboration with UNIDO could demonstrate the business case for high-value recycling of second quality jeans in the Tunisian textile and clothing value chain, according to a press release from the SwitchMed programme. According to a textile waste mapping study from UNIDO, Tunisia’s textile and clothing industry generate over 31,000 tonnes of pre-consumer textile waste each year, out of which over half is either 100 per cent cotton waste or ‘cotton rich waste.’ The transport of pre-consumer textile waste from Tunisia to recycling facilities in Europe and Asia increases the carbon footprint and causes up to two-thirds of the total cost of recycled denim. All the recycling and remanufacturing processes in the pilot project were undertaken in Tunisia, within a radius of 180 km, reducing costs and carbon dioxide emissions from transportation. A second phase of the Nudie Jeans collaboration will pilot the recycling of post-industrial textile waste like cutting scraps. The potential to locally source recycled textile fibres is significant, especially considering that Tunisia has all the production capacities required for this process. In addition, pre-consumer textile waste is more manageable to reuse than post-consumer textile waste as the sorting, quality and sourcing can be done within the same supply chain.
Source: Fibre 2 Fashion
Delilah Home CEO Micheal Twer elected to 3rd term as chair Leadership for the Organic Trade Association’s (OTA) Fiber Council includes executives from the home textiles, mattress and certification sectors. Michael Twer has been elected to his third term as chair of the Fiber Council. He is founder and CEO of Delilah Home, a 100% vegan-certified and organic home textile company specializing in bedding and bath. Vice chair for the 2022-2023 term is Elizabeth Tigan. She is the fiber and textile specialist at Oregon Tilth, a certifier, educator and advocate for organic agriculture and products since 1974. Secretary is George Mathew. He is VP of sustainability standards & certifications for Avocado Green Brands, producer of eco-conscious mattresses and utility bedding accessories. The OTA is a membership-based business association for organic agriculture and products in North America. It serves as a leading voice for the organic trade in the United States, representing over 9,500 organic businesses across 50 states. OTA ensures that all parts of the organic value chain have a strong voice in government and in our communities. “Our OTA Fiber Council has grown to include new members and industry leading brands/retailers like Patagonia Works, Whole Foods Market and Timberland. Our 48- member council’s goal is to protect the integrity of the organic brand, while creating awareness and education on what truly is organic. There are many myths in the textile industry and we will use updated science and facts to debunk these myths,” said Twer
Source: Home Textiles Today
