Messe Frankfurt to hold an International Natural Fibres Conference during Techtextil 2009

UN General Assembly declares 2009 to be the International Year of Natural Fibres

Messe Frankfurt launches new internet site on the occasion of the Year of Natural Fibres

As part of the International Year of Natural Fibres, Messe Frankfurt will hold a congress on natural fibres during Techtextil - International Trade Fair for Technical Textiles and Nonwovens – in Frankfurt am Main.

The aims of the congress on 17 and 18 June 2009 will be, inter alia, to bring natural fibres into closer contact with technical applications and to draw attention to the benefits offered by natural fibres. Thus, the focus of the congress will be on the functionality (function) of natural fibres and the latest findings about innovative applications in fields such as mobility and construction, i.e., architecture and building. Although natural fibres already play an important role in the textile industry, their share of the technical segment is still rather low. And it is in this connection that the Natural Fibres Congress should generate new impulses. The combination of natural fibres and technical textiles will open up new perspectives for this market.

The congress is supported by important trade associations, such as the Bremen Cotton Bourse, the German Linen Association, the German Association of the Yarn, Woven Fabrics and Technical Textiles Industry (IVGT), the International Textile Manufacturers Federation (ITMF) from Switzerland and the International Wool Textile Organisation (IWTO) from Belgium. These associations form the organising committee that, among other responsibilities, supports the programme committee in the selection of subjects and renowned speakers.

2009 - International Year of Natural Fibres

The UN General Assembly declared 2009 to be the International Year of Natural Fibres at the end of 2006. According to the Food and Agri-culture Organisation of the United Nations (FAO), the Year of Natural Fibres will help achieve the UN Millennium Development Goals. Thus, it is hoped to give a boost to the efficiency and sustainability of this branch of agriculture, which provides employment for millions of people in the poorest parts of the world. The International Year of Natural Fibres will promote awareness of and demand for natural-fibre products throughout the world.

Messe Frankfurt has launched a special internet site on the occasion of the International Year of Natural Fibres. The website at www.naturalfibrescongress.messefrankfurt.com  provides information about projects planned within the framework of the Year of Natural Fibres, shows the benefits of this natural product and offers detailed information about the Natural Fibres Congress at Techtextil 2009.