Greater transparency and quality assurance will increase the value of Brazilian cotton and benefit stakeholders throughout the supply chain

04 September, 2014, Brasilia, Brazil, and Liverpool, England – The Brazilian Cotton Growers Association (ABRAPA) and Generation 10 Ltd., a provider of commodity trade and risk management (CTRM) solutions and data analytics, announced today that they have entered into an 10-year collaboration beginning with the deployment of a National Cotton Database. The database is part of the Standard Cotton HVI Program developed by ABRAPA and will make Brazil only the second country in the world, along with the United States, to provide such levels of transparency and quality assurance to the marketplace.

This first step in the joint initiative will provide real-time analytics on the production and quality of cotton bales produced in Brazil each year. This will dramatically increase the transparency, traceability and quality assurance of Brazil’s supply chain, according to Brasilia-based ABRAPA, which represents about 1,000 cotton growers who account for 99% of Brazilian production.

“The creation of a national cotton quality database is an important step toward achieving our goal of 100% transparency of HVI quality results for cotton produced in Brazil,” said ABRAPA President Gilson Pinesso. “The ability to provide buyers with accurate and timely cotton quality data will directly increase market confidence in the fiber that our members produce, while the greater transparency and traceability will benefit every member of the value chain, from the farm to the retailer.”

“ABRAPA and Gen10 share a common goal to bring increased transparency and innovation to Brazil’s cotton supply chain,” according to Gen10 CEO Richard Williamson. “This initiative opens the door for producers to benchmark their production, measure their performance, and optimise their operations. This will, without a doubt, give Brazilian producers a competitive advantage in the marketplace.”

The National Cotton Database is one of the three main components of the Standard Cotton HVI Program, along with the construction of a central reference laboratory and the implementation of the International Laboratory Certification program run by ICA Bremen, an international center of excellence for cotton testing, research and quality training.

ABOUT ABRAPA

The Braziliabrapa-logoan Association of Cotton Producers (ABRAPA) was established on April 7, 1999, to ensure and enhance the profitability of the sector. It acts politically, socially and economically in both the public and private sectors to increase sustainability and improve cotton production in an environmentally and socially responsible way. The grower members of ABRAPA, which works to increase the global competitiveness of the Brazilian cotton industry, represent 99% of the country’s planted area, 99% of its production, and 100% of its exports. ABRAPA consists of nine state associations: ABAPA (Bahia), APOCAR (Paraná), AGOPA (Goiás), AMAPA (Maranhão), AMIPA (Minas Gerais), AMPA (Mato Grosso), AMPASUL (Mato Grosso do Sul), APIPA (Piauí) and APPA (São Paulo). For more information, visit www.abrapa.com.br.

ABOUT GENERATION 10

g10-logo-no-reflectionEstablished in 2000, Generation 10 delivers innovative, high-value, flexible commodity management solutions designed to enhance operational and financial performance by optimising supply chains, improving business transparency, and managing risk better.

ABOUT ICA BREMEN

ICA Bremen logoCreated in Bremen, Germany in October 2011, the ICA Bremen International Quality Testing and Research Centre combines the global reach of the International Cotton Association (ICA) with the quality expertise of Bremer Baumwollboerse and the Bremen Fiber Institute (FIBRE). For more information, visit www.ica-bremen.org.

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