Metrics for Measuring Sustainability
Date Posted: 11 Jul, 2013
Governments and Industry will consult on the metrics for measuring sustainability during the 72nd Plenary Meeting of the ICAC in Cartagena, Colombia. Registration for the 72nd Plenary Meeting of the International Cotton Advisory Committee since 1939 is underway; go to www.ICAC.org.
Following the successful 71st Plenary Meeting in Switzerland in 2012, in which sustainability definitions and concepts were discussed, the 72nd Plenary Meeting will advance this topic by considering the metrics by which sustainability can be measured. The vehicle for this discussion will be a report on “Measuring Sustainability in Cotton Production” that is being prepared by the ICAC Expert Panel on Social, Environmental and Economic Performance of Cotton Production (SEEP). The Report provides a comprehensive list of sustainability indicators and a framework for priority setting.
The Report will be ready for distribution to Member Governments in printable pdf format by late August, a month before the 72nd Plenary Meeting in Colombia. Publication of this report will be the first step in developing an internationally agreed framework for measuring the sustainability of cotton production. The critical next step is a consultation process to determine if agreement can be reached on an international framework, and the consultation process will begin during the World Café Sessions on October 1 and 2.
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The Secretariat of the Committee publishes information related to world cotton production, supply, demand and prices, and provides technical information on cotton production technology. Detailed statistics are found bimonthly in COTTON: Review of the World Situation, $185 per year via email, $225 per year in hard copy. A monthly outlook is available by email for $295 per year. Access to the latest weekly estimates of world cotton supply and use by the Secretariat is available on the Internet for $460 per year. Access Secretariat reports at <www.icac.org>.