The 34th International Cotton Conference Bremen was held in Germany from March 21 to 23, 2018. More than 500 participants from almost 40 countries exchanged views on the latest trends in the natural raw material.

This year, the conference developed into a whole week of diverse events around the entire cotton supply chain. With the focus on Africa, the emerging continent, which also has a special significance for cotton, became the center of attention. The keynote session gave participants an overview, with an informative analysis of the current cotton situation. The marketing of cotton and changing consumer habits in a globalised and digitalised world were the subject of lectures. There was a look at the raw material from a stock market perspective.

Digitalisation is also a cross-cutting issue that runs through the entire supply chain of the cotton industry. One session emphasised the importance of digitalisation for the industry. This enables new approaches in cotton cultivation and textile processing and also influences consumer behavior and thus the necessary changes in the textile industry. The focus is on the status quo of the implementation as well as the opportunities and risks of digitally controlled, vertically integrated procurement and sales processes and the associated challenges at retail level.