Berrye Worsham, president and CEO, Cotton Incorporated, says the low price of polyester continues to hurt cotton mill use, as do fashion trends that rely on less cotton—athletic apparel, for instance. “We are seeing a lot of growth in active wear,” he says.

Cotton Incorporated is employing new, innovative strategies to get more cotton into active wear fabrics. Worsham says new marketing incentives, including widespread use of social media, target a younger audience. He says Cotton Incorporated also is pushing cotton and technology to produce fabric for athletic wear.

Promotions such as cotton denim recycling, using denim as residential insulation and donating it to Habitat for Humanity is an important opportunity to provide a needed public service and also to show cotton’s commitment to sustainability, he says. Singer Cheryl Crow volunteers to promote that initiative.

He says promotions in China and other countries seek to find ways to “soak up some of the cotton inventory.

“We are making inroads into the active wear markets,” Worsham says. “Major brands are showing interest in cotton, but we have a long way to go.”

He says the Cotton University website offers information about all aspects of working with cotton and educates the industry. “We had 14,000 users in 2015, a 40 percent increase.”

Interest in high percentage cotton blends is increasing. “We will have to do this to make inroads back into some markets, as we did in the 1970s.” He says consumers still show an interest in 100 percent cotton but the high cotton content blends offer other avenues to use more cotton.

He says a recent survey indicates 68 percent of manufacturers expect to use more cotton in 2016. That’s partly due to low prices. “But consumer demand also plays a role,” he says. “Global economics will be a factor.”

Worsham says a trend to lighter weight fabrics, which over the past few years has meant about 10 percent less cotton use, is declining. “That offers some opportunity for growth.”

He says Cotton Incorporated has received more requests to use the Seal of Cotton on brands. “We’re seeing this increase for the first time in several years,” he says. “Also, we’re bringing back the Natural Blend seal.

“We have a lot of work to do to help growers survive in this low-price environment.”