Ningbo Textiles

www.naturalfibres2009.org – International Year of Natural Fibres Cotton, wool, silk, jute, flax, sisal… Natural fibre industries employ millions of people and contribute to a greener planet The International Year of Natural Fibres will be officially launched on 22 January 2009, at the headquarters of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) in Rome. Objectives •raise awareness and stimulate demand for natural fibres; •promote the efficiency and sustainability of the natural fibres industries; •encourage appropriate policy responses from governments to the problems faced by natural fibre industries; •foster an effective and enduring international partnership among the various natural fibres industries. What are Natural Fibres? Natural fibres may be defined as those renewable fibres from plants or animals which can be easily transformed into a yarn for textiles. Animal fibres are largely those which cover mammals such as sheep, goats and rabbits, but include also the cocoon of the silk-worm. Vegetable fibres are derived from the stem, leaf or seed of various plants. Close to 30 million tonnes of natural fibres are produced annually in the world, of which cotton is dominant with 20 million tonnes, wool and jute each around 2 to 3 million tonnes followed by a number of others. What are Natural Fibres used for? Natural fibres form an important component of clothing, upholstery and other textiles for consumers, and many of them also have industrial …