Ladies and Gentlemen, dear Cotton Community,
Today, Wednesday, 25 March 2020, at 9:45 a.m. CET, the 35th International Cotton Conference Bremen would have opened its doors. But things turned out differently. A fortnight ago, the Executive Committee and the Board of Directors of the Bremen Cotton Exchange, together with the Fibre Institute Bremen, resolutely decided that due to the now globally raging coronavirus pandemic, the conference would be postponed by one year, to the 17 – 19 March 2021. Unfortunately, as a result of the further development, our decision has turned out to be absolutely indispensable.
Events are evolving rapidly and our coexistence in a world based on the division of labour is changing daily. In every part of the world there is a struggle to find solutions and attempts are being made to overcome the difficulties. As part of the textile chain, the cotton industry is experiencing great upheaval, both at the business and, even more so, on a human level.
As a global fibre, cotton has always been a very sensitive seismograph of worldwide economic and ecological fluctuations. Even the smallest interruptions to parts of our value chain can cause major faults in our entire industry over time.
During these times, our international network, which we, the entire cotton industry, span across the globe, has also been given the function and task of keeping the global community aware that today, more than ever and across all borders, “social support” rather than “social distance” must be our constant daily motivation.
It is not the first crisis that we have all been through and will master together. We, the Bremen Cotton Exchange, wish the entire cotton community much strength and courage at this time.
Stay healthy!
Jens D. Lukaczik
President