Cotton Brazil Pushes Natural Fibre Dialogue, Builds Trade Ties At ICA 2026
Cotton Brazil promoted greater dialogue on natural fibres and strengthened international trade partnerships at the ICA Trade Event Istanbul 2026, as Brazil’s cotton lint exports reached a record 3.37 million tonnes in the 2025/26 marketing year, up approximately 19% from the previous season.
Held on October 14–15 at the Hilton Istanbul Bomonti Hotel in Türkiye, the event brought together approximately 600 delegates, including growers, exporters, textile manufacturers and representatives of major consuming markets.
The Brazilian delegation presented the Hanging by a Thread movement, known domestically as “Microplástico é o Fim da Linha”, which raises awareness about microplastics in everyday life and their potential effects on health and the environment.
Primarily aimed at public engagement and policy development in Brazil, the movement supports greater access to information, research and innovation, while encouraging the use of natural fibres wherever technically appropriate.
“The goal is not to eliminate synthetic fibers, but to encourage debate and promote more conscious choices,” said Gustavo Piccoli, President of the Brazilian Cotton Growers Association (Abrapa).
International cooperation is another priority. “It is important to understand how we can move forward with other producing countries, particularly the United States and Australia, through joint initiatives,” said Fernando Rati, Head of Business and International Relations at Abrapa.
As the world’s third-largest cotton producer and leading exporter, Brazil used the gathering to engage buyers, manufacturers and trading companies on supply prospects and the sector’s development.
“The ICA is always a place where we seek to gather the perspectives of this highly select and multidisciplinary audience, representing different links in the supply chain. This helps us position ourselves increasingly better,” Rati said.
Dawid Wajs, President of the Brazilian Cotton Exporters Association (ANEA), highlighted the industry’s focus on sustainable expansion. “We conveyed a very clear message about how things are evolving in Brazil and how the country seeks to ensure sustainable growth. More than that, we want the entire global textile industry to be able to count on cotton to grow and increase fiber consumption worldwide,” he said.
Ahead of the main event, Cotton Brazil hosted a luncheon bringing together growers, textile industry representatives, traders and industry organisations from several countries. Two panels reviewed Brazil’s 2025/26 crop results and 2026/27 outlook, including production, planted area, quality and sustainability, alongside Cotton Brazil’s future strategies and the microplastics awareness movement.
“This was the largest event in terms of attendance that we have ever organized alongside the ICA Trade Event program. Traditionally, we bring together opinion leaders and key individuals who are extremely strategic across each link of the supply chain, coming from various countries for the event organized by the International Cotton Association,” Rati said.
The Brazilian delegation included representatives of Abrapa, ANEA and ApexBrasil. Brazil will host the ICA event for the first time in 2027, in São Paulo, offering a further platform to showcase its cotton industry’s capabilities and competitiveness.
