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PAKISTAN’S Punjab provincial government, with the assistance of US firm Monsanto, is to introduce new climate smart and high yield cotton seed varieties, aiming at increasing the per hectare yield in the province. However, the country’s textile industry and farmers’ representatives are concerned that this and other initiatives will only make a difference if government officials work harder to ensure new seed is delivered to growers.…

TECHNICAL textile brands are only too aware of the reputational risks posed by consumers purchasing performance clothing and gear to protect them from the elements in the great outdoors, whose manufacturing chemicals and processes are actually damaging the planet.

Environmentally harmful chemicals have been a mainstay in producing the highest quality durable water repellent (DWR) for outerwear, footwear and kit – including backpacks, tents and sleeping bags – with manufacturers apparently putting profits from this lucrative, burgeoning market ahead of ‘green’ credentials.…

CONSIDER for a moment the long list of items hacked in spectacular fashion for the edification of those who descended on Las Vegas this summer for the annual BlackHat and DEFCON security events: voting machines, ‘smart’ safes, cars, guns, car washes, infusion pumps and radioactivity sensors.…

Contrary to common perceptions, fast fashion is not a fad in itself, indeed according to Sebastian Boger, a principal at the Boston Consulting Group (BCG), this swift industrial response to changing clothing market trends is here to stay. However, Boger advised the International Apparel Federation (IAF) World Fashion Convention, at Rio De Janeiro: “There’s still a long way to go before it’s a fully sustainable industry, in terms of social, environmental and ethical pulse.”…

The Chinese government is to set up a new anti-corruption agency, the National Supervisory Commission, to replace the existing watchdog the Central Commission for Discipline Inspection (CCDI). The change to be confirmed at the 19th National People’s Congress on October 18, comes as China seeks greater cooperation with international law enforcement bodies as part of President Xi Jinping’s anti-corruption drive.…

EUROPEAN Union (EU) member states and the European Commission have agreed to strengthen monitoring and information sharing systems on food fraud, to help prevent the emergence of damaging scandals such as this summer’s Netherlands egg contamination scandal. Rapid common risk assessment procedures are to be created including swift convening of Commission/member state meetings to exchange relevant scientific information.…

AFTER introducing digital printing and leading Bangladesh’s knitwear sector by example, the country’s knitting major, the Knit Concern Group, has said it will ramp up its capacity to digitally print 1 million metres of fabric monthly by 2022. Presently, the knitter, based in Narayanganj, near Dhaka, can digitally print 260,000 metres of fabric a month.…

India’s robust cosmetics and personal care industry, that according to the Indian Beauty & Hygiene Association (IBHA) generated annual sales of USD8 billion in 2016, is facing severe supply chain disruption and the closure of smaller brands. Continuous double digit annual growth registered during the last decade by the industry – noted by figures from the ministry of commerce’s India Brand Equity Foundation (IBEF) – has now been severely disrupted by a series of radical regulatory measures.…

Millennial consumers – the key driver of demand in today’s personal care product market – love personalisation, customisation and ‘do it yourself’ lines, and maybe nowhere more than in Germany. This ‘maker movement’ trend has inspired Cosnova, the Sulzbach, Hesse-based producer of cosmetic brands such as essence, Catrice and L.O.V.,…

MILLENNIALS are changing the cosmetic industry like never before: this generation with an ‘I want it all – I want it now’ attitude is forcing cosmetics firms to cut down on lead time –  the speed with which products are delivered to market – to a bare minimum.…