: World Cotton Day focuses on the fibre’s role in weaving socio-economic development #IndiaNEWS #International Cotton is a constant thread in our lives, from field to fabric, the UN agriculture agency,

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World Cotton Day focuses on the fibre’s role in weaving socio-economic development #IndiaNEWS #International
Cotton is a constant thread in our lives, from field to fabric, the UN agriculture agency, FAO, upheld on Friday, World Cotton Day, drawing attention to the natural fibre’s contribution in weaving socio-economic development and championing its advancement in sustainable livelihoods.

An estimated 100 million family farmers across 80 countries directly depend on the cotton industry, in which women play a key role.

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From field to fabric, cotton is woven into our lives.
The cotton sector contributes to the livelihoods of millions of rural smallholders worldwide.
Lets weave a bright path into the future & ensure no one is left behind #WorldCottonDay t. co/XJBZOJXcge

Food and Agriculture Organization

FAO
October 7, 2022

Cotton supports the economies of many low-income and emerging countries.
Last year it contributed about billion to their economic support – and billion in global trade, according to FAO.
Moreover, it plays a significant role in social and economic development, international trade, and poverty alleviation, and it contributes to the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
Culturally important
The cultural importance of cotton with its roots at the heart of human civilization, was recognized by the General Assembly in August 2021, when it proclaimed 7 October of each year as World Cotton Day.
It is the most important of the natural fibres, used daily in clothing and home furnishings, and represents an important source of export revenues for some of the poorest countries in the world.
Challenges abound
The day accentuates the need for a sustainable cotton sector that enhances production, nutrition, environment, and life, leaving no one behind.
However, market price volatility, climate change, pests, diseases, COVID, and the global economic slowdown are among the issues currently challenging the sector.
Furthermore, cotton faces a number of uncertainties on both the production and demand sides that need to be properly addressed if the sector is to realize its full potential in supporting economic growth and sustainable development.
Greater investments are needed to expand the sector beyond raw cotton production and create new income opportunities, especially for farmers, by adding more value to cotton fibre and developing by-products from other parts of the cotton plant.

© FAO/Swiatoslaw Wojtkowiak

Cotton production contributes significantly to Malis economy despite often challenging trading conditions.

Wonders of cotton

Cotton provides employment and income for millions of smallholders, workers and their families.