The 2016 Australian Cotton Conference – New Frontiers was the cotton industry’s 18th conference held over a 36 year span.

The Australian cotton industry has experienced a vast array of change over this 36 year period. As the cotton industry has developed, so too has the Australian Cotton Conference. What began primarily as on-farm, cotton growing-centred research sharing of knowledge, has now extended to all sectors of industry from research to processing and in more recent times it has been inclusive of post farm gate mechanisms so that our complete supply chain process from “dirt to shirt” is examined.

Conference is a key industry forum and an important focal point for R&D knowledge sharing. As such, Conference promotes a collective sense of industry identity, direction, connectivity, and purpose.

For 2016, a Conference Committee was formed from Cotton Australia members, Australian Cotton Shippers Association members and representatives from other industry organisations and sectors (including CRDC, CSD, growers, the R&D sector, agronomists and young industry representatives) to oversee the conference program and activities that contributed to a successful conference. The Committee, guided by the Board and Executive of both organisations, was responsible for implementing program initiatives.

The 18th Australian Cotton Conference provided a platform to showcase the Australian cotton industry and enhance the outputs from CRDC funded R&D and extension activities to the industry at large.

The conference provides for the largest gathering of industry participants in any calendar year and delegates were presented with information in various formats during the conference program that demonstrated and extends improvements in outcomes for the industry.

Industry was challenged to share information, discuss, debate and respond to and adopt findings of research and projects around maximising individual and industry profitability and sustainability through the adoption of home-grown R&D.