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A technological view on Indian cotton ginning at the Bremen Cotton Conference 2022

27 October 2022

In collaboration with internationally recognised brands and organisations, the project promotes the implementation of sustainability standards such as Better Cotton Standards, Fairtrade Standards and Organic Standards. So far, around 240,000 smallholder farmers in Maharashtra, Gujarat, Tamil Nadu and Madhya Pradesh are supported for sustainable cotton production.

Besides working directly with farmers in the field, the project works in the processing stages of cotton. After harvest, the cotton fibres are separated from the seeds (ginning) and subsequently transformed into yarn (spinning). Ginning and spinning are hotspots of the supply chain when it comes to working conditions and safety in the mills. In collaborating with renowned German universities including the International Centre of Sustainable Textiles (ITA) of RWTH Aachen, ITA Augsburg and University of Applied Sciences Niederrhein, new techniques for sustainable cotton ginning and the technological potential of Indian spinning mills are identified. This strengthens the interface between Indian ginning companies and the subsequent production stages along the textile supply chain. Besides technological, economic and occupational safety aspects are explored.

During the recent International Cotton Conference Bremen, specialists from around the world working along the textile supply chain came together. Under the motto ā€œCotton Decodedā€, cotton research and key issues surrounding production, quality, processing, innovative products and the supply chain were discussed.

Representing the collaboration between GIZ India and ITA of RWTH Aachen, Justin Kuehn (Research Associate ITA) and Vanessa Berghoff (Junior Advisor GIZ India) and presented a technological view on India about the potentials of saw versus roller ginning.

Link to further materials

Contact person
Vanessa Berghoff ā€” Advisor
Global Programme ā€œSustainability and Value Added in Agricultural Supply Chains (ProAgriChains)ā€

Key buzzwords
Cotton, india

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