Rome: On World Cotton Day 2025, held at the FAO headquarters in Rome, Africa's cotton producers and partners showcased how the sector is driving green growth, local value addition, and sustainable trade under the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA). This initiative is powering inclusive industrialization and climate-smart growth across the continent.
According to African Press Organization, the resilience of Africa's cotton sector is notable as farmers and artisans navigate climate shocks, volatile prices, and shifting global markets. However, when prices fall or yields drop, the effects ripple through economies and households. Sustainable cotton farming, fair trade, and local transformation are essential to inclusive development and central to Africa's industrialization goals under AfCFTA.
On World Cotton Day 2025, the International Trade Centre (ITC) joined the FAO, WTO, UNIDO, ICAC, and African governments, including the Cotton Four (Benin, Burkina Faso, Chad, and Mali) alongside Niger and Côte d'Ivoire, to reaffirm a shared commitment: strengthening the cotton-to-clothing value chain from field to fashion. Through initiatives such as the EU/OACPS Cotton Project, GTEX/MENATEX, and the Ethical Fashion Initiative (EFI), ITC is helping farmers, artisans, and entrepreneurs climb the value chain and build climate resilience.
In Tanzania and Zambia, thousands of smallholder farmers are transforming their cotton-growing practices. Instead of burning crop residues, they use them to make biochar—a natural fertilizer that improves soil health, boosts yields, and reduces emissions. In just one year, over 10,000 farmers in Tanzania adopted these climate-smart practices, increasing yields by up to 20%. In Zambia, 130,000 smallholders have doubled production while earning the world's first carbon credit payments in the cotton sector.
Women artisans and young designers are turning African cotton into high-value creations. In Burkina Faso, Côte d'Ivoire, and Mali, EFI connects local weavers and small fashion businesses to global brands, showcasing sustainable African design at international fairs. These initiatives not only raise incomes but also inspire a new generation of African entrepreneurs linking agriculture, creativity, and climate action.
Through its Global Textiles and Clothing (GTEX) programme, ITC strengthens the competitiveness of manufacturers in Egypt, Morocco, and Tunisia, while its UK Trade Partnerships (UKTP) Programme supports firms in Ethiopia and Tanzania to expand intra- and extra-African trade. Together, these efforts support Africa's ambition to industrialize and create tens of thousands of jobs.
Developing the cotton-to-apparel value chain within Africa is critical. Under the AfCFTA, cotton and textiles have the potential to become one of the continent's most dynamic industries. By investing in value addition, regional trade, and sustainability, African countries can retain more value at home, create jobs, and compete in global markets. Experts from supply, demand, investment, and finance also stressed the need to reinforce extra-continental exports to build the skills and know-how that can, in turn, serve Africa's internal market.
This vision, advanced by ITC and its partners, sees African cotton as a story of empowerment, innovation, and pride, weaving trade together with sustainable development. As FAO celebrates its 80th anniversary, World Cotton Day 2025 stands as a reminder that cotton is not just a crop—it is the fabric of Africa's greener, fairer future.
