Natural fibres are those
renewable fibres that are taken from plants, and animals which are transformed
into yarn for textiles. They are taken from plant leaf, inner bark or fruit/seed,
insect cocoon, animal wool or hair, or from any mineral product. Using natural
fibres to manufacture clothing has been in vogue for thousands of years. The
average annual production of natural fibres; globally is estimated to be around
30 million tones. Cotton dominates the natural fibres market with 20 million
tones, wool with 2 million and jute with 3 million tones and the rest shared by
the other fibres.
The year 2009 has been declared
as the International Year of Natural Fibres (IYNF). This will be officially
launched on January 22nd, at the Headquarters of the Food and
Agriculture Organization of the United Nations in Rome, Italy. The main objective is to raise the profile for these fibres, and highlight their value to the
consumers.
Objectives:
- To raise awareness, create, and
increase the demand for natural fibres.
- To foster international
partnership among various natural fibre industries.
- To enhance efficiency and
sustainability of natural fibres.
Since 1960s, there was a
diversification in the trend of the global fabric market, with a growth towards
the usage of synthetic fibres mostly derived from petrochemicals. This is due
to the short term economic advantages that synthetic fibres offer. Now, with
the increasing awareness of global warming, there is a drive manipulating the
global market to move away from the petrochemical based fibres, to natural
fibres. Natural fibres of plant sources include kenaf, flax, cotton, hemp,
ramie, sisal, linen, jute, lime, bamboo, seagrass, and abaca. Animal sources of
natural fibres include camel, goat, sheep, alpaca, and llama, and can be either
wool, or leather, or; hair. Insect fibres come mainly from silkworms.
Textile industry uses a wide
assortment of natural fibres. Changing fads, innovations in the textile
technology, globalization, amount of disposable income in the hands of
consumers, and supply chain have all influenced the consumption of fibres
considerably. Besides their input in textile production, natural fibres
contribute to providing employment opportunities to millions of people, and
enable economic development in many countries. Keeping these virtues in
consideration, to promote awareness about natural fibres, foster international
partnership among natural fibre industries, and to encourage the Government to
come up with appropriate policy measures to solve the problems faced by natural
fibre industries, the United Nations have proclaimed 2009 as the International
Year of Natural Fibres (IYNF).
Many countries produce natural
fibres, and they are of major economic importance in some countries. Cotton is
a major fibre in West African countries, jute in Bangladesh, and sisal is a
major fibre in Tanzania. Sale proceeds of natural fibres and generation of
foreign exchange revenue play an integral role in the development of a country,
and also contribute significantly to the food security, and income of poor
farmers in the developing and under developed countries.
Natural fibres are an important
component of clothing, upholstery, and many other textiles. These fibre
industries generate employment opportunities for millions of people and
contribute to a greener planet. The fibres are environmentally friendly both in
terms of production, and disposal. Therefore, promoting the use of natural
fibres will also enhance the environment. It helps us to attain a sustainable
way of living.
References:
- http://www.iynf09india.in/
- http://www.naturalfibres2009.org
- http://www.dawn.com
- http://www.cottonpromotion.org
- http://www.fao.org