Advisory committee
The BCI Advisory Committe is made up of experts from around the world. Advisory Committe members do not have to be members of BCI and participation is on a vountary basis. They are appointed by the BCI Council for a period of 3 years. The Advisory Committe has no decision making authority.
Advisory committee members are currently:
Pins BROWN
Pins Brown divides her time between work at labour rights consultancy Ergon Associates and as a mother. Her work focusses on researching and implementing labour standards in retail supply chains; women workers and gender; the informal economy (especially migrant workers, small farmers and homeworkers) and the juncture of international campaigns and multi-stakeholder work to improve labour standards. She also develops and gives training on the prevention of discrimination and harassment at workplace shop floor level. Pins has worked at the UK’s Ethical Trading Initiative as well as Anti-Slavery International and The Body Shop. Her grandfather was a cotton geneticist for the Egyptian government, FAO and others.
Simon FERRIGNO
Simon Ferrigno (MSc.) is an independent consultant with 12 years experience in sustainable agriculture policy research, and 9 on organic and sustainable cotton issues. Simon has extensive experience in working in retail market development and consumer and brand education for organic cotton. He has worked with Organic Exchange to help brands understand the realities and constraints of organic cotton by establishing its Farm Development Program. He has written several reports on organic cotton fibre production and development, developed an impact assessment tool for organic cotton farmers and recently completed a draft report on best practices in organic cotton fibre production and trade and pricing mechanisms. Previously, he has worked for Pesticide Action Network UK and the International Institute for Environment and Development.
Andrew MACDONALD
Andrew Macdonald retired in 2002 as director of Santista Textil Brazil after 43 years with the company, 35 of which in the cotton business, which covered support for growing cotton, ginning, international cotton trading and textile sector of the group. Currently consultant for Santista textil as well as the cotton growers of Brazil, specifically the state of Matogrosso. President of the Brazilian cotton association, chairman of the spinners committee of the ITMF (International Textile Manufacturers Federation).
Francesca MANCINI
Francesca Mancini is a tropical agronomist who has worked on Integrated Pest Management (IPM) in the cotton industry for the last 10 years. Her work has focused on building the capacity of small scale cotton farmers to employ ecological crop management practices, (primarily using the educational approach known as Farmer Field School) and on reducing risks associated with the use of pesticides at field and policy levels. Francesca is currently serving as vice-chair of the ICAC’s expert panel on the Social Environmental and Economic Performance of cotton (SEEP).
Colin POULTON
Colin Poulton is a Research Fellow at School of Oriental and African Studies, University of London, working on agricultural markets and rural development and with a particular interest in African cotton industries. (see http://www.soas.ac.uk/staff/staff37121.php)
Richard POLLARD
Richard Pollard has lived and worked in various parts of the cotton world during 22 years in international trading including Uzbekistan, Turkmenistan, Greece and Argentina, with the last 7 years based in Brazil. Richard brings supply chain experience of origin, trading, operations and logistics and the spinning function. He currently works for the Ecom Cotton Group.
Terry TOWNSEND
Dr. Terry Townsend is the executive director of the International Cotton Advisory Committee (ICAC). He joined the ICAC as statistician in 1987 and became executive director in 1999. He has a Ph.D. in Agricultural and Resource Economics from Oregon State University in the United States. The ICAC is the intergovernmental commodity body for cotton. The Committee works to raise awareness of critical issues involving cotton, it provides statistical and scientific information, and the ICAC facilitates cooperation on international issues related to the cotton economy.
