Report of a DNFI Meeting Thursday, January 15, 2015 10:00 AM to noon Frankfurt, Germany (during Heimtextil)

Participants: Małgorzata Zimniewska, representing the Institute of Natural Fibers and Medicinal Plants and serving as Chair of DNFI; Edelgard Baumann, Sean Callanan, Allen Terhaar representing Cotton Council International; Peter Clasen of the firm Wilhelm Clasen; Christian Schindler representing ITMF; Stefan Schmidt representing Industrieverband Veredlung - Garne - Gewebe - Technische Textil; and Elisabeth van Delden representing the IWTO, Rainer Schlatmann representing the Bremer Baumwollborse.

Elke Hortmeyer representing the Bremer Baumwollborse and Terry Townsend a cotton industry consultant and Vice Chair of DNFI, participated via conference call.

Next Meeting: The next DNFI meeting will be in January 2016 in Frankfurt during Heimtextil. Conference calls may be scheduled on an ad hoc basis during 2015.

Report of the Meeting

1. Short Reports – 2014 a. Preparation of DNFI Session on 2nd International Conference on Natural Fibers, Portugal, April 2015 Malgorzata reported the state of preparation for DNFI session of 2nd ICNF which will be held in Azores. Four DNFI speakers representing cotton (ICAC), wool (IWTO) and flax/hemp (CELC) organization will have lectures covering outlook for natural fibers development and market. The presentation containing main objectives of DNFI will be given during the session to propagate the network and encourage participants to join DNFI.

b. Textile fairs: Techtextil and ITMA Małgorzata reported that DNFI had a chance participate in two important international fairs: ITMA and Techtextil. ITMA organizers offered to DNFI Members to build a separate booth for each natural fibers organization. Due to high cost, DNFI Members did not accept this offer. Stefan Schmidt gave the possibility to DNFI to exhibit together with Industrieverband Veredlung - Garne - Gewebe - Technische Textilien e.V at the Techtextil 2015. The cost of DNFI booth space would be adequately lower. The members of DNFI did not use the opportunity, only IWTO declared willingness to share costs and booth.

2. DNFI web site

a. Terry presented the current DNFI website content. He commented that there was little information on the website and referred to some comments on the website being dominated by cotton. The problem was in getting information on other fibers. The website showed a table with statistical data on natural fiber production. The information on production gathered for presentation at the conference on Azores would be updated at the website. Elizabeth had provided data on wool; Michael Carus had taken charge of gathering info on hemp. Terry concluded that the DNFI members needed to talk about quality of content to make the website interesting. b. Malgorzata presented factsheets on natural vegetable and animal fibers prepared at INF&MP, referenced, which were loaded at the website; the tables contained the following data for each type of the fibers: photos, SEM images of their surface and cross section, dimensions, main parameters and application. The tables were for common use.

3. Wikipedia

Terry said that text for Wikipedia was agreed, unfortunately it was almost identical to the DNFI website, against wiki rules. The new text must be developed.

- Peter Clasen made a few remarks: for manila hemp he recommended to contact fiber development authority in the Philippines, and also to contact Sizal Association, who had a very good website, DNFI could get more input for its website. When it comes to jute he informed that Intergovernmental Group Jute Kenaf and Allied Fibers IJSG had ceased to exist in April 2014 so we would have to contact FAO for that information. We should also contact fibre industry development authority in the Philippines, Manila, who worked on ramie too. Kapok fiber produced only in Indonesia should be mentioned because of its high value; Peter suggested contacting the ministry in Jakarta and offered to contact kapok suppliers from Indonesia to provide information that we needed. - Peter suggested contacting the Ministry of Textiles and Jute, jute organizations in Calcutta - Indian Jute Research Institute and Bangladesh Jute Research Institute and offered to provide their coordinates. He assured that DNFI could rely on their expertise. - Stefan informed that he had a meeting with Dr. Gupta, the Jute Commissioner/Government of India/Ministry of Textiles and Dr. Rahmann, Deputy Director ATIRA research institute. Both expressed their interest to promote jute products for technical applications and invited DNFI to visit them. It was suggested to do this before or after the next textile fair in Mumbai which will be held in September 2015. - Terry offered to contact manila authorities and recommended contacting East Java State regional government, where kapok was produced, so far there was no feedback from them.

Discussion about Wiki page content:

Terry asked about the overall purpose of wiki page to which Allen said that providing general information was important and then directing people to DNFI website. Edelgard suggested that we should be focused on natural fibers and then on DNFI. Peter emphasized the social factors, employment figures, which was important as 3 million people were employed on raw jute/kenaf growing in Bangladesh and thus the people buying natural fibers promoted employment. Rainer commented that most people who visit wiki pages looked for general information, then some info on DNFI; the readers were end consumers, press and journalists. Sean added that a wiki page served as an on-line encyclopedia, therefore just the facts should be provided and then linking to other websites, origins of DNFI, how to contact them etc. Christian addressed Terry and congratulated him on his very good paper on economy and employment of cotton, wool and other fibers, Terry made a final remark that he would start circulating the draft of DNFI wiki to make progress.

4. Preparation of general presentation about ideas and Members for DNFI promotion

Malgorzata prepared general presentation on DNFI; the presentation containd information on origin of DNFI, definition of natural fibers, main objectives, the list of members, benefits for members, information about structure and meetings. The presentation can be used for Members for sharing information about DNFI to encourage people and organization to join us. The list of Members had to be updated because the Bremen Cotton Exchange was missing.

5. DNFI Awards Programme,

Malgorzata proposed to establish a special DNFI Awards Programme dedicated to people working on natural fiber to recognize the best innovative solution. The DNFI Award programme should promote natural fibers and encourage researchers and investigators for development of innovative natural fiber applications. She proposed to grant it to the authors of articles presented during international scientific conferences, which covered topics related to natural fiber usage and additionally once a year, to the investigators who used natural fibers for their invention and authors of new technological solutions for natural fibers who would have sent the description of their work to DNFI Secretariat.

DNFI Awards Committee should consist of: • Members serving as the chairs of DNFI in the course of the term of office, • DNFI Members attending the event (conference, fair etc.), • At least one representative of each type of natural fibers,

The members discussed the principles of granting the award. Terry suggested that the committee should have members present at regular DNFI meetings. Stefan, Edelgard and Allen proposed that it should be a single award for the best solution/innovation granted once a year and the applications could be submitted from 1st January to the end of December. The decision on the winner should be made in January. A disadvantage of this idea was lack of good occasion for presenting the winner with enough publicity. Terry referred to the rules applying in the contest for the Researcher of a Year given by ICAC, and he suggested that DNFI Award should be a prestigious award not a monetary one. The crucial matters were to set the clear rules and choose the independent Committee. Stefan emphasized that the procedure of selecting the winners should be clearly defined for all interested parties. The DNFI Award could be announced in April taking the opportunity of having a large group of researchers gathered at the International Conference on Natural Fibers in the Azores. Peter Clasen and Elizabeth pointed out that the occasion for presenting the Award could be any conference or event organized by an association, which the winner came from.

Malgorzata informed that the next Textile Institute World Conference would be organized by INFMP with Textile Institute in Poland in 2016, so presenting the award in 2016 could be done at the special session dedicated to natural fibres.

Malgorzata summed up the part of the discussion saying that the criteria, committee members and the method of presenting the award had to be specified. The draft of rules would be prepared and disseminated in the near future. The final conclusion was that the award would be given for an innovation of a year.

6. Natura Fibers development as a chance for strengthening of regional specialization

The topic was brought up by Malgorzata, who referred to European programmes promoting specialization in certain areas of industry in the European region. However, these kind of programmes are not operating outside Europe.

7. Any other business

Information about conferences: • Elizabeth invited for the International Wool Congress to be held on 18-20 May in China and asked for sharing information, th • ICAC conference will be held on 5 November in India. th • TIWC 2016 will be held on 26-28 April in Poznan, Poland.