Hosted by Helvetas Swiss Intercooperation and Textile Exchange, the three roundtable discussions will take place just prior to the latter’s Sustainable Textiles Conference which is taking place on 19 and 20 of September in the same city.

The three main themes for the discussions will be: developing guidelines for responsible business practice and trade; shaping the future of non-gm seed supply, including exploring actions for improving availability and distribution of good quality non-GM seed; and supporting sustainable growth, such as finding ways to better connect producer groups to financial services and encourage more brand/retailer investment or partnerships through tri-partite arrangements.

“This meeting will serve as an opportunity for our virtual community to take part in a face-to-face meeting and help improve the future sustainability of organic cotton production and trade through dynamic discussion,” Textile Exchange’s Ashley Gill said.

The Global Organic Cotton Community Platform is a web-based platform for professionals with a stake in the organic cotton sector which aims to exchange knowledge and information on organic and fair-trade cotton, complemented by face to face meetings.