The Modern Cotton Story

Listen to apparel expert Jaclyn Noble discussing the environmental and business benefits of using cotton in today’s clothing. She has held senior positions with Spanx, Gloria Jeans, VF, and American Eagle, to name a few. However, her career began with hands-on experience using cotton on the mill floor. For Ms. Noble, industry metrics, transparency, and sound growing practices by farmers form the f...

Listen to Liza Schillo, Director of Sustainability & Social Impact with Perfect Day, and former Senior Manager of Global Product Sustainability with Levi Strauss, as she discusses the challenges faced by the apparel and cotton industries in adopting ESG and environmental sustainability goals. For Ms. Schillo, industry metrics, transparency, and a commitment to the future underscore industry effort...

Hear about how Pheasants and Quail Forever helps farmers incorporate biodiversity into their sustainability and environmental conservation efforts. Brent Rudolph, Director of Sustainability Partnerships, and Josh Michna, Precision Agriculture Conservation Specialist, discuss the wide-ranging benefits that come with protecting and improving biodiversity. As they explain, with more diversity – espec...

Hear about some exciting technologies to improve the performance of cotton from Graham Stewart, Executive Vice President at Fiber52 — a company that has developed an innovative prepare for dye (PFD) process that leverages the natural moisture-wicking characteristics of cotton. Using natural techniques, Fiber52’s simplified PFD process enhances cotton’s naturally hydrophobic (wicking) qualities. At...

Hear from Marshall Hardwick, a leading cotton grower, about the challenges faced by farmers to produce quality, sustainable crops. Our fascinating discussion covers what it means to be sustainable, as well as ways in which farmers and apparel brands can find ways of working together. For Mr. Hardwick, measurable business practices, transparency, and a commitment to the future underscores the centr...

Hear from a leading expert in the field of corporate social responsibility (CSR), David Uricoli, CSR Consultant, as we discuss how manufacturers, brands and retailers look to transparency and accountability in their supply chains. For Mr. Uricoli, many brands have learned the hard way over the years that CSR is a required approach to business where worker rights, sustainable production, and transp...

Hear from a leading engineer, Mike Rodriguez, Textile Engineering Consultant, as we discuss many of the latest innovations in the cotton and textile industries. For Mr. Rodriguez, it’s an exciting time to be in textiles as there’s so much change and opportunity while at the same time new innovations have helped cotton to maintain its status as a preferred fiber for textile mills globally. In this...

Hear from leading sustainability expert, Jessica Monserrate, PhD, Head of Sustainability North America for BASF as we discuss what’s necessary to define success in sustainability. For Ms. Monserrate, success is defined as applying scientific and real-world innovation to solving the challenging problems facing farmers today as they adopt sound sustainability practices. With more than ten years’ exp...

Listen to Mr. Neeper as he discusses many of the challenges facing U.S. cotton growers as a new harvest gains momentum. He also focuses on the problems faced by farmers and textile mills as retailers struggle with considerable inventory and weakening consumer demand which, in turn, has resulted in slower sales of textiles throughout the supply chain. Our lively program also discusses the competiti...

Join us for a terrific program this week as we discuss made-in-america, sustainability, the economy, and changing consumer attitude with Pat Stewart, President of The General Standard (thegeneralstandard.com), a Los Angeles-based apparel company. In this podcast, we cover a wide range of topics including what Mr. Stewart sees as the major challenges facing the apparel industry as it grapples with...

Join us for an insightful podcast this week as we discuss sustainability, ESG, transparency, and environmental stewardship with a leading advocate of sustainable practices, Roian Atwood. Mr. Atwood has many years of experience in promoting and implementing sustainability programs throughout the apparel supply chain, from farm to fashion. In this podcast, we cover a wide range of topics including w...

Join us for an important podcast this week as we discuss the U.S. cotton situation with industry leader, Kevin Brinkley, President & CEO of Plains Cotton Cooperative Association (PCCA). Mr. Brinkley has many years of experience in risk management, strategic analysis, and policy issues affecting the cotton business. In this podcast, we cover a wide range of topics including the Texas drought, its i...

Join us for a very special podcast this week as we introduce Ray Daniels, Sustainability Manager for North America Seeds at BASF, and the new manager of the e3 Sustainable Cotton program. Mr. Daniels has many years of experience as a marketer in agriculture, along with a deep knowledge of sustainability, as well the markets for cotton and other agricultural products. In this podcast, we ask Mr. Da...

Welcome to a special episode of “The Modern Cotton Story” as we discuss a new environmental partnership between BASF and the conservation organization Pheasants Forever and Quail Forever to help farmers and ranchers achieve sustainability objectives on private lands, while supporting habitat improvements, public access, and outdoor education on a national scale. Our guest is Rachel Bush, Conservat...

From fluctuating prices, to uneven demand for their crops, U.S. farmers are facing many challenges this year. Macro-economic forces, like inflation, while problems caused by drought, and global competition, all add up to a year that has already tested growers in a variety of ways. These problems have growers searching for solutions — and that's where BASF steps in. So, join us to learn more about...

The cotton, textile, and apparel industries are navigating rough waters these days. First there was the pandemic, but now changing trade policies, a major war in Europe, and other growing geopolitical tensions challenge the industries in many ways. So, join us to learn more about these challenges and the implications for domestic producers and global sourcing with Jennifer Knight, the newly appoin...

FiberMax Cotton turns 25 this year, a milestone in the cotton industry, and a landmark for quality cotton. Join us to learn about the history of FiberMax Cotton with Mark Kelling, Area Manager for the Southwest at BASF, as he explains the importance of FiberMax cotton seed to growers across the American farm belt — and how FiberMax has been particularly important to growers in Texas and Arizona. M...

The cotton, textile, and apparel industries face significant challenges. The aftermath of the pandemic, changing trade policies, shifting sourcing patterns, economic uncertainty, and growing geopolitical concerns challenges the industries in ways not seen for many years. Join us to learn more about the issues at stake and the implications for domestic manufacturing and global sourcing with Kim Gla...

Stoneville Cotton turns 100 this year, a milestone in the cotton industry. Join us to learn about the history of Stoneville Cotton with Don Threet, Cotton Operations Manager at BASF, as he explains the importance Stoneville cotton seed has had to growers across the the entire American farm belt. Don is the distinguished leader of the Stoneville brand at BASF. Listen to how the cotton industry has...

Join us for a fascinating discussion about the global cotton markets with Kip Butts, a well-known and respected cotton economist and analyst, as he talks about the global markets for cotton — including the global supply and demand situation for cotton, and the outlook for cotton as it continues to compete for marketshare with synthetic fibers. Listen to how the cotton industry has coped with the c...

Join us for a dynamic conversation with well-known and respected economist Dr. Sheng Lu, Associate Professor of Fashion & Apparel Studies at the University of Delaware, as he discusses the challenges and opportunities facing brands and retailers sourcing apparel from the CAFTA-DR region. According to Dr. Lu, sourcing from the CAFTA-DR region has many benefits, such as speed to market, but challeng...

Join us for a fascinating discussion with respected textile leader, Amrin Sachathep, Managing Director of Atlantic Mills (Thailand), as he describes the state of the global textile industry, its challenges and opportunities. According to Mr. Sachathep, the industry is recovering from the economic shock of the pandemic, but challenges remain for the industry to overcome. This is an enlightening pod...

Join us for a stimulating discussion with Auggie Tantillo, former CEO of Washington, DC-based National Council of Textile Organizations (NCTO), and a leading industry consultant, as he describes the state of America's textile industry. According to Mr. Tantillo, the industry is strong, made up of vibrant companies with world-class yarn, fabric and textile manufacturing. This is an enlightening pod...

Join us for a preview of the 2022 cotton crop with leading agronomists Luke Etheredge and Will Groover of BASF. Indeed, cotton planting has just started in parts of the U.S., so it’s a very busy time for farmers across the American farm belt. Listen to an update from Luke and Will as they discuss the challenges faced by farmers this year. This is an enlightening podcast all about cotton from exper...

We have an important podcast this week as we host a discussion about government forced labor policy with Eric Choy, Acting Executive Director, Trade Remedy Law Enforcement, Office of Trade at U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP). He has worked in the government policy arena for many years, and has had a career in the U.S. military. Today, Mr. Choy directs CBP’s forced labor enforcement activit...