World cotton day 2022 – ‘weaving a better future for cotton’

To highlight the importance of this global commodity in generating jobs and maintaining economic stability in less developed countries, the United Nations General Assembly declared October 7 as World Cotton Day in 2021.

Cotton represents so much more than just a commodity. This natural fiber is a life-changing product worldwide that sustains 32 million growers (mostly women) and benefits over 100 million families across 80 countries (North America, Europe, Asia-Pacific, South America, and Middle East & Africa).

Figure: The United Nations General Assembly declared October 7 as World Cotton Day in 2021.

On this second official UN World Cotton Day, the United Nations wants to raise visibility of the cotton sector and awareness of the critical role that it plays in economic development, international trade and poverty alleviation.

The observance also aims to highlight the importance of sustained, inclusive and sustainable economic growth, full and productive employment and decent work for all.

All the stakeholders of this cotton industry should facilitate the workers. Indeed, cotton is a major source of livelihoods and incomes for many rural peoples all over the world.

According to UN, a single ton of cotton provides year-round employment for 5 people on average, often in some of the most impoverished regions.

The initiative of World Cotton Day begun in 2019, when four cotton producers in sub-Saharan Africa– Benin, Burkina Faso, Chad and Mali, known as the Cotton Four – proposed the World Trade Organization a World Cotton Day celebration on October 7.