Abrapa | Cotton Brazil represented Brazil at the Research Associates Program (RAP), held from April 7th to 11th in Tennessee (USA)
Strengthening cotton’s position within the textile sector was the central topic of the 2025 edition of the Research Associates Program (RAP), organised by the International Cotton Advisory Committee (ICAC).
Aimed at researchers and experts from around the world who are focused on cotton growing and sustainability, Brazil was represented in the program by the Brazilian Cotton Growers Association (Abrapa), through the Cotton Brazil program.

Abrapa’s Sustainability Manager, Fabio Carneiro, participated in the meeting which was held from April 7th to 11th in Tennessee (USA). He explains that, in addition to the presence of a diverse range of cotton producing countries, the event was notable due to ICAC’s strategic alignment as one of the most representative organizations in the global cotton industry.
“Currently, the global textile industry is dominated by synthetic, fossil-based fibres. This directly impacts global demand. It is essential, therefore, that we come together to defend cotton as a viable and more sustainable option bearing in mind the sector’s environmental and economic challenges,” Mr. Carneiro explained.
In this 25th edition, the Abrapa manager presented an overview of the advances made in Brazilian cotton farming, the good agricultural practices that have been adopted as well as traceability and sustainability initiatives.
“It was an important exchange of information because, based on the positions of each of the nine participating countries, we were able to build up a global panorama and a network for active dialogue between professionals from all over the world”, Abrapa’s manager added.
In addition to meetings and talks, the program included visits to the National Cotton Council (NCC), Longtown ginning facilities, Walker Farms, the Cotton Museum, the USDA quality classing facility, and Mallory Alexander Logistics (courtesy of an invitation from the American Cotton Shippers Association (ACSA).
Organised by ICAC, the Research Associates Program is supported by Cotton Incorporated and ACSA. In addition to Brazil and the USA, there were representatives from South Africa, Argentina, South Korea, Ivory Coast, Tanzania, Taiwan and Turkey.