The Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) in an effort to stimulate demand for natural fibre, has declared 2009 as International Year of Natural Fibres. It will be formally launched on January 22, at the FAO headquarters in Rome. Natural fibre industry, which constitute cotton, wool, silk, jute, coir, flax, and sisal based products employ millions of people and comes under the category of green industry.
Since the 1960s, the use of synthetic fibres has increased, and natural fibres have lost their market share. ?The main objective of the International Year of Natural Fibres is to raise the profile of these fibres, to emphasise their value to consumers while helping to sustain the incomes of the farmers. Promoting measures to improve the efficiency and sustainability of production is also an important aspect of the Year”, says a release from FAO. The idea came from a meeting of fibre producing and consuming countries in FAO. At the request of FAO, the actual declaration was made by the General Assembly of the United Nations way back on December 20, 2006. Besides FAO, an international steering committee, with representatives from various fibre organisations, consumer bodies, and funding agencies, will meet from time-to-time to guide the programme. Most of the activities will be organised by partner organisations, some at the international level, and many more within individual countries.
The special ‘Year’ of natural fibres aims to 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. Natural fibres include ?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 tonne of natural fibres are produced annually in the world, of which cotton is dominant with 20 million tonne, wool and jute each around 2 to 3 million tonne followed by a number of others.
Natural fibres form an important component of clothing, upholstery and other textiles for consumers, and many of them also have industrial uses in packaging, papermaking and in composite materials with many uses, including automobiles.
Apart from their importance to the consumer and in their various industrial uses, these are an important source of income for the farmers. In many developing and least developed countries proceeds from the sale and export of natural fibres contribute significantly to the income and food security of farmers and workers in the industry both nation wide and locally. For example, cotton in some west African countries, jute in Bangladesh and sisal in Tanzania are of major economic importance.
