The June 2018 ‘Cotton: Review of the World Situation’ features three articles that provide statistics on the current cotton market, an overview of the world’s most popular natural fibres, and a detailed analysis of organic cotton production. 
In the Summary of the Outlook for Cotton, ICAC Statistician Lihan Wei provides up-to-date supply, demand and production estimates for the global cotton industry. The data shows that while stocks are decreasing in China, they’re on the rise in the rest of the world. She also highlights concerns about the weather in two of the world’s major production areas: West Texas in the USA and the Xinjiang region in China. Both are facing inclement weather conditions that could result in a shortage of higher-quality cotton next season. 
‘Natural Fibres and the World Economy’ was written by Terry Townsend, former ICAC Executive Directorand current Chairman of the Discover Natural Fibres Initiative. In addition to providing an overview of each of the world’s major natural fibres, he presents compelling evidence to show that natural fibres are crucial to the survival of millions of people around the world, especially in the least-developed countries. 
The third article, co-authored by Ms. Wei and Head of the ICAC Technical Information Section Dr. Keshav Kranthi, looks at the challenges and opportunities facing organic cotton production systems. While their research shows that organic cotton production has decreased from 240,000 tons in 2009 to 108,000 tons in 2016, they also point out that yields on a well-run organic farm can reach as high as 1,000 kg per hectare.
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The International Cotton Advisory Committee (ICAC) was created to assist members in fostering a healthy world cotton economy. The role of the ICAC is to raise awareness, to provide information, and to serve as a catalyst for cooperative action on issues of international significance.