World Cotton Day: Date, Objective, Importance and Key Facts

4to40.com October 5, 2024 Public Awareness 349 Views

World Cotton Day is a Celebration of cotton and an opportunity to show its enduring positive impact. The global community is invited to join us in celebrating the world’s most important natural fiber!

The World Cotton Day is celebrated on 7 October as a global celebration of cotton and its stakeholders, from field to fabric and beyond. At the initiative of the Cotton-4 (Benin, Burkina Faso, Chad and Mali), the World Trade Organisation made the launch of World Cotton Day on 7 October 2019.

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.

Objective:

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.

Why is World Cotton Day Important?

Because cotton is a natural fiber like no other. Here are just some reasons why.

It’s a poverty-alleviating crop in some of the least developed countries in the world, providing sustainable and decent employment to people across the globe.
It biodegrades quickly compared with synthetic alternatives, decreasing the amount of plastics entering our waterways and helping to keep our oceans clean.
It’s the only agricultural commodity that provides both fiber and food.
As a crop that grows in arid climates, it thrives in places no other crop can.

What happens on World Cotton Day?

Stakeholders from the global cotton community come together to speak on the many advantages of cotton–from its qualities as a natural fiber, to the many benefits people obtain from its production. Topics this year include sustainability, women in cotton, brand and retailer partnerships, and more.

Key Facts about cotton:

Compared to synthetic alternatives, cotton is renewable and bio-degradable and hence is the most sustainable raw material for the textile industry
It’s the only agricultural commodity that provides both fiber and food.
Contrary to popular belief, cotton is not a thirsty crop. It’s a xerophyte, so it thrives in dry, arid conditions where other crops can’t grow.
It is estimated that about 32 million farmers produce cotton globally and nearly half of them are women.
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.
Cotton occupies a mere 3% of the world’s agricultural area – yet it meets 27% of the world’s textile needs.
Cotton is a tough, hardy, flexible plant that is indeterminate in nature and can be grown all year long even in harsh conditions.
The majority of consumers say cotton is the best fabric for active wear, and more than 2 out of 3 say that 100% cotton sheets offer the best night’s sleep.
Cotton is used to make a lot more than comfortable fabric! A ton of cottonseed produces about 320 pounds of oil – which can be used for cooking, cosmetics and soap, among other things – while cottonseed meal and cake can be used as animal feed and fertiliser.
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.
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.
A single tonne of cotton provides year-round employment for 5 people on average, often in some of the most impoverished regions.
Cotton-based filaments are appealing to 3D printers because they conduct heat well; become stronger when wet; and are more scalable than materials like wood.
In addition to its fibre used in textiles and apparel, food products can be derived from cotton, such as edible oil and animal feed from the seed.