The International Year of Natural Fibres will be officially launched on 22 January 2009, at the headquarters of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) in Rome.

Natural fibre industries employ millions of people and contribute to a greener planet

Objectives

• raise awareness and stimulate demand for natural fibres;
• promote the efficiency and sustainability of the natural fibres industries;
• encourage appropriate policy responses from governments to the problems faced by natural fibre industries;
• foster an effective and enduring international partnership among the various natural fibres industries.  

Why an International Year of Natural Fibres?

Since the 1960s, the use of synthetic fibres has increased, and natural fibres have lost a lot of their market share. The main objective of the International Year of Natural Fibres is to raise the profile of these fibres, to emphasise their value to consumers while helping to sustain the incomes of the farmers. Promoting measures to improve the efficiency and sustainability of production is also an important aspect of the Year.

Who decided that 2009 would be the International Year of Natural Fibres?

The idea came from a meeting of fibre producing and consuming countries in FAO, the Food and Agriculture Organisation of the United Nations. At the request of FAO, the actual declaration was made by the General Assembly of the United Nations on 20 December 2006.