Editorial: Global Fibre Demand to 2030: What Will Happen When Cotton Stops Growing?

Global fibre demand for natural and man-made textile fibres is set to expand by 84% between 2010 and 2030 -- due to population growth and an increase in fibre consumption per head as a result of rising incomes in developing countries. But while cotton production will climb to its second highest level on record in 2011/12, it could eventually stagnate and additional demand for fibres will have to be met by man-made fibres. In this report, Robin Anson looks at the reasons why cotton production may eventually reach a ceiling and speculates whether polyester or man-made cellulosic fibres -- or a combination of both -- will fill the gap. He also analyses the reasons why man-made fibre usage in India is only a fraction of that in China and speculates whether the Indian textile industry's overdependence on cotton could weaken its competitiveness in the years to come.

Editorial: Global Fibre Demand to 2030: What Will Happen When Cotton Stops Growing?

• From Famine to Feast: Cotton Output Is Set for its Second Highest Level on Record but a Ceiling May Lie Ahead
• What Will Fill the Gap: Polyester or Man-Made Cellulosic Fibres?
• India: Investment in Man-Made Fibres Needed to Reduce Overdependence on Cotton

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