World Linen Forum held in Paris from February 9 to 10 with over 200 international decision-makers from 15 countries. As per the European Confederation of Flax and Hemp (CELC), the first event met with great success in 2018. Among others, businesses from China, Japan and India were also represented. The event was the occasion to officially acquire ISO Standard 320706-1 certification for the sector. In the works for over seven years, this certification provides brands with a guarantee of the fiber composition in their collections, avoiding any risk of counterfeiting.
Europe accounts for 80 per cent of linen production. Eco-friendly, cultivated without fertilizers and with low-water consumption, this fiber is produced in Europe on a thin strip of land that spans from the Netherlands to north-western France, serving as the main supplier. Despite its 10,000 businesses across 14 countries in the EU, this sector must rely almost exclusively on foreign processors to yield thread and fabric. Creating a dialogue centered on common themes between the sector’s different players is thus strategically essential.
If flax represents only 0.4 per cent of the worldwide textile fibers today, it has many advantages pushing it towards one per cent. Linen Matrix 2019, a publication with a global cartography of the sector, provides informational guidelines and common foundations to guide the linen industry’s ambitious future.
