TOP STORY

In Mexico, the Absent Inspector Is a Policy Choice, Not a Budget Accident

Between 2015 and 2023 federal labour inspections in Mexico fell by close to 70 per cent, and barely one in a hundred reached the textile industry. A recent study shows the shortfall is not merely a matter of scarce resources but of design, with a statutory limit and a jurisdictional dispute together leaving four-fifths of the garment sector unreachable.

Other Top Stories
 
CIRCULARITY / RECYCLING / SECONDS / WASTE

Engineers Create Elastic Yarn as Strong as Spandex That Can Be Melted and Reused Again and Again

Stretchy clothing could soon be recycled as easily as plastic bottles, thanks to a new elastic yarn that rivals spandex yet melts down and respins into fresh thread. Built entirely from one plastic family, it needs no chemical separation, and could support more circular production and recovery across the textile industry.

 
FLASHPOINT: CLIMATE
Material Innovation / Bezos Fund

Breakthrough textile materials have received $34 million in new Bezos Earth Fund grants, backing research into bacterial fibres, spider-silk-inspired biodegradable materials, coloured cotton and cotton seedbank restoration. The funding targets materials that can match rayon, silk and cotton while improving cost, performance and environmental outcomes across fashion and textile supply chains.

Climate Action / Ethiopia Project

Climate resilience, productivity and workplace safety are being advanced across Ethiopia's leather, textile and garment sector through a new ILO-Japan joint initiative. The one-year programme targets 40 factories across five cities, integrating Japanese expertise, digitalised safety tools and a women's leadership development programme to drive sustainable and inclusive industrial growth.

 
 
 
FOCUS: COTTON

Climate Pressure Forces a Reckoning Across Pakistan's Cotton Belt

Fragmented pilot projects have long defined regenerative agriculture efforts in Pakistan's cotton sector, but mounting climate and market pressures are exposing the limits of that approach. Drawing on a recent industry roundtable, Abou Bakar, Country Representative – Pakistan, CottonConnect, explains what a coordinated national framework would look like, and why farmer incentives and traceability now sit at the centre of that conversation.

 
 
 
SPOTLIGHT EDITIONS: SELECT 4
 

"Quote Unquote"

Amey Padma
Amey Padma
Head – India Business
Heartland USA
Each stakeholder plays an important role, but technically capable manufacturing partners supported by strong research validation are critical in the early stages. Once technical feasibility and product performance are established, exporters and brands can accelerate commercialisation. Building a successful hemp ecosystem requires all participants to move forward together.

"Quote Unquote"

Mattias Wallander
Mattias Wallander
Chief Executive Officer
USAgain
The real hurdle isn't the map, but the fragmented municipal governance: complex, varying permit costs and restrictive zoning are barriers to expansion. If local governments can align on model ordinances and move away from restrictive industrial-only zoning, the 13% yearover- year growth seen in France may be possible in California.
 
 
FOCUS: LEATHER

Major Reorganisation Positions Fierecongressi as a More Competitive Force in Global Exhibition Markets

A major internal reorganisation, aligned with a growth strategy and a substantial infrastructure investment programme, has reshaped Fierecongressi's operational model. The restructuring establishes a dedicated Internationalisation Area, merges two business units into a single Fairs Business Unit, and introduces a product-oriented structure to strengthen the company's competitive position in the global exhibition and congress market.