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\tCascale has announced program details for Cascale Forum: Colombo, taking place March 30\u2013April 1, 2026 in Sri Lanka. Building on the success of the 2025 Forum in Ho Chi Minh, Vietnam, this gathering will convene manufacturers, brands, retailers, NGOs, policymakers, and solution providers under the theme \u201cAction by Design: Accelerating a Fairer, More Resilient Value Chain.\u201d<\/p>\n
Cascale has announced Cascale Forum: Colombo, March 30 to April 1, 2026, uniting brands, manufacturers, NGOs and policymakers to accelerate fairer, more resilient apparel value chains.
\nTo be hosted in Sri Lanka, the Forum focuses on climate action, decent work, collaboration, hands-on learning, factory tours and practical use of Higg Index tools.<\/p>\n
\t\u201cAt Cascale Forum: Colombo, we are bringing the value chain together to work intentionally on the systems, relationships, and practices that accelerate measurable progress on climate and decent work,\u201d said Harsh Saini, interim CEO, Cascale<\/i><\/b>. \u201cThis is a space for shared learning \u2014 and shared responsibility.\u201d<\/p>\n
\tRotated annually across critical manufacturing regions, Cascale Forums are brought to the industry by the stewards of the Higg Index, exclusively available on Worldly, and center the experience and expertise of manufacturers and sourcing companies at the center of global production. The Joint Apparel Association Forum (JAAF), which represents Sri Lanka\u2019s textile and apparel export sector, is the event\u2019s Association Collaborator. Hosting the Forum in Sri Lanka reinforces Cascale\u2019s commitment to ensuring regional priorities shape global strategies while emphasizing that intentional collaboration is essential to drive measurable improvement on climate and decent work.<\/p>\n
\t\u201cSri Lanka has long played an important role in advancing responsible manufacturing,\u201d said Saifuddin Jafferjee, chairman of the Joint Apparel Association Forum Sri Lanka (JAAF).<\/i><\/b> \u201cCascale Forum: Colombo provides a valuable platform to share regional experience, strengthen collaboration across the value chain, and contribute practical insights that support a fairer, more resilient industry.\u201d<\/p>\n
\tAcross two days of plenaries, workshops, and training sessions, participants will explore what effective brand\u2013manufacturer collaboration looks like in practice, engage in hands-on learning, and gain a deeper understanding of how to effectively use Cascale\u2019s tools, including those in the Higg Index and Better Buying. New this year, side meetings and factory tours will offer additional opportunities to learn from regional examples of operational and sustainability excellence.<\/p>\n
\tWhy Sri Lanka?<\/b><\/p>\n
\tSri Lanka represents an important region in the global apparel supply chain and brings diverse perspectives to the table. Its manufacturers have earned a reputation for high environmental and social standards, energy-efficient operations, and early adoption of sustainability tools such as the Higg Index. The textile and apparel export sector accounts for nearly 50 percent of Sri Lanka\u2019s exports and represents six percent of its GDP.<\/p>\n
\tWith a well-connected network of industry players who actively engage in shared initiatives, Sri Lanka offers real-world examples of responsible production \u2013 making it an ideal location for hands-on learning, cross-industry dialogue, and peer-to-peer capability building. Finally, local organizations provide valuable context through factory tours, coordinated through the Cascale Forum: Colombo program, which allow participants to experience sustainability innovations, workforce practices, and environmental performance improvements firsthand.<\/p>\n
\tMember-Driven Program Advisory Group<\/b><\/p>\n
\tCascale\u2019s expert Program Advisory Group members emphasized the importance of grounding global strategy in local realities while helping develop the program for Cascale Forum: Colombo.<\/p>\n
\t\u201cSouth Asia is known in the global apparel industry for combining innovation, quality, and responsible manufacturing,\u201d said Nikhil Hirdaramani, director, Hirdaramani<\/i><\/b>. \u201cCascale Forum: Colombo showcases how that leadership contributes meaningfully to global industry progress.\u201d<\/p>\n
\t\u201cManufacturers are navigating increasing complexity and at MAS we have always tried to be proactive and take the challenge head on,\u201d said Dhanujie Jayapala, general manager of environmental sustainability, MAS Holdings<\/i><\/b>. \u201cCascale Forum: Colombo gives us the opportunity to share regional insights and build capabilities that support long-term, aligned progress.\u201d<\/p>\n
\t\u201cTo build a resilient supply chain, we need strong alignment between brands and suppliers,\u201d said Cesar Hasibuan, responsible supply chain director, South Asia, Nike Inc<\/i><\/b>. \u201cThis Forum will create space to understand each other\u2019s challenges and design solutions that work in practice, not just on paper.\u201d<\/p>\n
\t\u201cWe need practical, operational pathways to meet today\u2019s climate and social expectations in the fashion industry,\u201d said Dr. Thiwanka De Fonseka, chief sustainability officer at Komar<\/i><\/b>. \u201cCascale Forum: Colombo plays a vital role by creating a space for hands-on learning and intentional, equitable collaboration that empowers our industry to move from commitment to real, measurable impact throughout the value chain.\u201d<\/p>\n
\t\u201cCollaboration is essential to scaling credible environmental solutions,\u201d said Maria Arroyo, Sector Partnership Lead, ZDHC<\/i><\/b>. \u201cOur work only succeeds when data, standards, and implementation are connected \u2014 and Cascale Forum: Colombo helps make that possible.\u201d<\/p>\n
\tProgram Highlights<\/b><\/p>\n
\tLead sponsored by Worldly and sponsored by MAS Holdings, Komar, T\u00dcV Rheinland, GSCS, among others, key highlights for Cascale Forum: Colombo include:<\/p>\n
\t\u201cCascale Forum: Colombo brings the industry together at the point where data, capability, and action intersect,\u201d said Scott Raskin, CEO of Worldly<\/i><\/b>. \u201cBy pairing Cascale\u2019s standards and governance with accessible, innovative solutions, the Forum helps brands and manufacturers move beyond reporting and toward decisions that improve environmental and social performance across the value chain.\u201d<\/p>\n
\tIn November, after over a million people were displaced by severe flooding and landslides, Sri Lanka declared a state of emergency; Cascale is contributing to the Sri Lanka Red Cross Society to support emergency response and long-term rebuilding, and continues to stay in close contact with regional partners as needs evolve.<\/p>\n
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Fibre2Fashion News Desk (HU)<\/p>\n
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