History

During the 71st Plenary Meeting of the ICAC, held in Switzerland in October 2012, the Committee instructed its Secretariat to form a Task Force on Cotton Identity Programs in order to enhance cooperation, improve transparency, and exchange experiences as well as information about sustainability. Cotton Identity Programs were defined by the Advisory Committee as those organizations that support or promote “various cotton production initiatives, including organic, Fairtrade, Cotton made in Africa, and Better Cotton Initiative.”

Mission

The mission of the Task Force on Cotton Identity Programs is to assist governments in achieving a higher understanding of the cotton identity programs and articulating institutional cooperation linkages with organizations promoting and implementing them.

Objectives

1. To serve as an objective statistical observer of the cotton identity programs, enhancing
transparency;
2. To serve as a clearinghouse for technical information on identity cottons;
3. To serve as a forum for exchange of experiences with cotton identity programs; and
4. To promote institutional cooperation between cotton identity programs, ICAC member countries, and other institutions of the cotton value chain.