Each 7 October is celebrated as United Nations (UN) International World Cotton Day.

The Thammasat University Library collection includes many books about different aspects of growing and processing cotton.

According to an online report,

Cotton production in Thailand is not significant as the returns are not attractive as compared to the returns from other field crops like corn.

Total production of cotton in the country is less than one per cent of total demand.

The government of Thailand does not promote the production of cotton and does not provide any kind of incentives to farmers.

The UN website explains:

Weaving a better future for cotton

Cotton is one of the most common fabrics in our wardrobes. It is comfortable, hypoallergenic, breathable and durable.

But cotton represents so much more than just a commodity. This natural fabric is a life-changing product worldwide that sustains 32 million growers (almost half of them women) and benefits over 100 million families across 80 countries in 5 continents.

This means that, behind any cotton clothing, following back its trade chain, there is a personal story.

It is true that cotton is really important to developed economies, but for least-developed and developing countries, it is a safety-net.

Cotton is a major source of livelihoods and incomes for many rural smallholders and laborers, including women, providing employment and income to some of the poorest rural areas in the world.

On the fourth 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.

UN World Cotton Day 2024 will be celebrated for the first time in the African continent. Over 400 attendees will share ideas on enhancing the benefits and impact of cotton, the world’s most important natural fiber. The celebration will also highlight the importance of sustained economic growth, inclusive and sustainable industrial development, fair trade practices, and decent work for all. Learn more about the sector and the event on the official FAO website.

World Cotton Day, an idea that started thanks to the “Cotton Four”

The initiative of World Cotton Day was born 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.

During 2 consecutive years, the date offered an opportunity to share knowledge and showcase cotton-related activities.

Now that the United Nations has officially recognized this World Cotton Day, this great opportunity creates awareness of the need of market access for cotton and cotton-related products from least developed countries, fosters sustainable trade policies and enables developing countries to benefit more from every step of the cotton value chain.

A rules-based, non-discriminatory, open, fair, inclusive, predictable and transparent international cotton trading system is key to provide a livelihood to hundreds of millions of vulnerable people around the globe.

Besides, 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. […]

The UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) website notes:

In 2024, World Cotton Day (WCD) will be celebrated on October 7 in Cotonou, Benin, marking the first time the event will be held in a country rather than at an international organization. This also marks the first celebration of WCD on the African continent. Over 400 attendees are expected to gather to share ideas on enhancing the benefits and impact of cotton, the world’s most important natural fiber.

The event is jointly organized by the Government of Benin and the International Cotton Advisory Committee (ICAC) Secretariat, in collaboration with the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), the World Trade Organization (WTO), the International Trade Centre (ITC), the United Nations Trade & Development (UNCTAD), and the United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO).

The celebration will also highlight the importance of sustained economic growth, inclusive and sustainable industrial development, fair trade practices, and decent work for all. […]

Celebrating cotton

Cotton is a culture, a way of life, and a tradition with its roots at the heart of human civilization. In August 2021, the General Assembly of the United Nations recognised the unique benefits of cotton by proclaiming 7 October of each year as World Cotton Day. The objective of this global celebration is to raise the visibility of the cotton sector and awareness of the critical role that it plays in economic development, international trade and poverty alleviation.

Cotton is the most important of the natural fibres, used daily in apparel and home furnishings. Cotton is a critical means of livelihood for millions of smallholders and their families by providing employment and income. It represents an important source of export revenues for some of the poorest countries in the world. The World Cotton Day offers a unique opportunity to renew the commitment to a sustainable cotton sector for better production, better nutrition, a better environment, and a better life, leaving no one behind.

Key messages

• Cotton is an important means of livelihood for millions of smallholders, workers and their families, providing employment and income.
• Cotton exports represent an important source of foreign exchange earnings for a number of low-income countries, helping to cover their food import bills.
• 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.
• The cotton sector at all levels of the value chain represents a way to address wider development concerns to empower women and boost youth employment, while ensuring decent work for all.
• The sector needs to transform to achieve greater efficiency, inclusiveness, resilience and sustainability.
• Science and innovation, research, digitalisation, better governance, and targeted investments can sustain this transformative change.

A rules-based, non-discriminatory, open, fair, inclusive, predictable and transparent international cotton trading system is key to provide a livelihood to hundreds of millions of vulnerable people around the globe.

            The cotton sector also needs greater coordination across the value chain to boost efficiency, transparency, and value, including developing by-products.

Did you know?

• The top five cotton producing countries are China, India, the United States of America, Brazil and Pakistan, which together account for more than three-quarters of global production.
• It is estimated that about 24 million farmers produce cotton globally and nearly half of them are women.
• Cotton is the second-largest fibre by volume, after polyester, accounting for approximately 22% of global fibre production.
• Around 80 percent of cotton is used in apparel, 15 percent in home furnishings and the remaining 5 percent mostly accounts for non-woven applications, such as filters and padding.

(All images courtesy of Wikimedia Commons)