World Cotton Day 2021: Theme, History, Significance and what makes cotton a special fibre?

Oct 7, 2021, 10:50 IST

World Cotton Day 2021: Cotton Day is observed annually on October 7 to raise awareness about the cotton sector and the critical role it plays in international trade, economic development, and poverty alleviation.

World Cotton Day
World Cotton Day

World Cotton Day: Cotton Day is observed every year on October 7. The day is celebrated to highlight the significance of which ranges from its attributes as a natural fibre to the benefits that people gain from its transformation, production, consumption and commerce. World Cotton Day 2021 emphasizes the issues that the cotton industry faces as cotton is significant for the world’s least developed economies.

Cotton as a product is grown across 75 nations in 5 continents and sustains at least 28.67 million growers. It is used in every cloth as it is hypoallergenic, comfortable, durable and breathable. World Cotton Day recognizes those for whom this natural fibre is a major source of livelihood including the women as it provides income and employment to some of the poorest regions.

World Cotton Day 2021 Theme

World Cotton Day theme 2021 is “Cotton for good”. The events to celebrate Cotton Day will be organized virtually and speakers from different countries around the world will take part in it to make people aware of the significance of Cotton.

World Cotton Day History

The World Cotton Day was launched by the World Trade Organisation and the International Cotton Advisory Committee (ICAC) in 2019.

The day was established at the initiative of four sub-Saharan African cotton-producing states- Burkina Faso, Benin, Chad, Mali. Cotton Day offered an opportunity to the countries to share their knowledge as well as showcase cotton-related activities.

The annual revenue from Cotton, as per the International Cotton Advisory Committee, is estimated at USD 41.2 billion, while the cotton trade amounts to USD 18 billion every year.

World Cotton Day 2021 Significance

World Cotton Day celebrated annually on October 7 raises awareness about the cotton sector and the critical role that it plays in international trade, economic development and poverty alleviation. The observance of Cotton Day provides a unique opportunity to recognize the historic importance of cotton as a global commodity.

What makes Cotton special?

As per the United Nations, the cotton crops being resistant to climatic changes, can be planted in dry and arid zones.

Cotton occupies only 2.1% of the world’s arable land and despite this, the fibre meets 27% of the world’s textile needs.

As per the experts, cotton also has a negative carbon footprint as it degrades 95% faster than the polyester in wastewater helping to keep the environment clean.

Production and significance of Cotton in India

Cotton is one of the most important commercial crops of India which provides a living for around 6.00 million cotton farmers.

India, being the world’s second-largest cotton producer and largest consumer, introduced its very first label and logo, ‘Kasturi Cotton’ on the second World Cotton Day 2020. The trademark stands for whiteness, brightness, shine, softness, purity and individuality.

‘Cott-Ally’ smartphone application has also been built by India. The app was developed by the Cotton Corporation of India to offer the most recent details and information on agriculture methods, weather conditions and crop situations.

Shailaja Tripathi is an educational content writer with 2 years of experience. She is a Masters in Political Science from Delhi University and also holds a Bachelors in Education. At jagranjosh.com, she creates content for school students and college audiences. You can reach her at shailaja.tripathi@jagrannewmedia.com
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