Over 450 cotton industry delegates attend ICA Las Vegas 2022

The event began with a series of regional forums and a diversity-focused panel session, the Power to Empower, chaired by Bill Kingdon (ICA). It continued with keynote sessions from Ron Lawson (LOGIC Advisors / SFO Commodities), Mark Pryor (The Seam) and Kim Kitchings (Cotton Incorporated), as well as a panel session focusing on sustainable supply chains chaired by Bill Ballenden (LDC Suisse SA), according to a press release by the ICA.

At the closing ‘Together Again’ Gala Dinner, a recorded speech saw Alex Hsu pass over the ICA presidency to Tim North.

“My term began amid global shipping issues, and I find it regretful that, at the end of my term, the shipping industry still has not fully resolved their issues. Unfortunately, these shipment delays have led to many disputes within the cotton community. We have encouraged, and continue to encourage, more communication between buyer and seller, to work together to find solutions. We’ve also achieved many successes this year. The ICA fully embraces sustainability, and to that end we continue to work with sustainability platforms around the world. This year, we have signed MOUs with Better Cotton, US Cotton Trust Protocol, and Cotton Made in Africa, and we actively engage with all organisations to promote sustainability throughout the cotton supply chain,” outgoing ICA president Alex Hsu reflected on the challenging yet rewarding journey of serving as ICA president.

“The Women in Cotton group continues to make great strides in increasing diversity within the cotton industry, and I am always astounded by the energy and vibrancy that they bring to every event. But the thing that excites me the most is our return, after almost three years, to in-person meetings. I was very excited to be able to visit the subcontinent earlier this year, and I am really happy that we are able to be together again, here in Vegas, for the first time since the pandemic.”

Next year’s event will take place in Singapore from October 10–12.

ALCHEMPro News Desk (NB)