Partners In Promotion
June 1, 2009 Based in Memphis, TN, the Cotton Board is the oversight and administrative arm of the Cotton Research & Promotion Program, representing U.S. Upland cotton, through Cotton Incorporated. Cotton Council International (CCI) is the export promotion arm of the National Cotton Council. CCI’s mission is to increase exports of U.S. cotton, cottonseed and U.S. manufactured cotton products through activities that affect every phase of the marketing chain.
Drayton C. Meyers, President and CEO of the Cotton Board, explains the relationships:
Where does the funding come from?
DCM: Virtually all of Cotton Incorporated’s funding comes from the Cotton Board who receives funding from producers and importers of cotton and cotton products. CCI gets the majority of its funding from the Congressionally-mandated Foreign Market Development (FMD) and Market Access Programs (MAP).
Funding for international market development works two ways. Cotton Incorporated is CCI’s largest private contributor, which increases CCI’s access to public funds. Cotton Incorporated helps CCI use its MAP funding to provide technical and fashion services to U.S. cotton’s export customers – also building consumer demand in China.
How long has CCI been in partnership with the Cotton Research and Promotion Program?
DCM: CCI was established in 1956 and has supported the Cotton Research and Promotion Program from its inception in 1966 when CI was the Cotton Producers
How exactly does the partnership work?
DCM: Staff and leadership planning sessions protect against duplication.
Today, CCI and Cotton Incorporated work as an integrated team to deliver a seamless set of value-added services to U.S. cotton’s global customers. These services include economic and market information and technical and sales support.
How successful has this affiliation been?
DCM: Unbelievably successful! It capitalizes on the talents, expertise and strengths of each organization, benefiting U.S. cotton’s customers around the world. This is a great value to our export-dependent industry, helping us compete more effectively. They also serve to legitimize U.S. cotton’s premium price.
How has partnering with CCI helped build demand for and profitability of cotton internationally?
DCM: Today we export as fiber or valued-added cotton products over 90% of U.S. cotton. Exported fiber sales have grown from 7.5 to 13.6 million bales in the last 10 years — not bad considering most countries try to undercut our prices.
How strong and successful do you think this relationship between CCI and the R&PP will be in 10 years?
DCM: Even stronger than today. I have no doubt their collaboration will lead to innovations, garnering new customers, products and demand in new markets like Vietnam and traditional markets like China, Turkey, Mexico, Indonesia and Thailand.
Finally, I am confident they will continue working collaboratively to manage costs, maximize benefits and fight for cotton’s rights and against misinformation while extolling the truth about cotton’s sustainability and the importance of “realistic” standards to decision makers around the world.
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