From Inequality and Vulnerability
to Prosperity for All

Cotton is grown mainly for its fibre, or lint - the raw material in cotton textiles.

Nevertheless, commercial applications exist for other parts of the cotton plant, such as the stalks, husks, cottonseed and short-staple fibres.

Cotton by-products, therefore, represent an opportunity for producing countries to unlock further benefits from cotton production, including:

  • New income streams for farmers and processors

  • Increased domestic value-added

  • Access to new markets

  • Improved trade balance, through increased exports or import substitution

  • Reduced waste in the cotton value chain

By unlocking these benefits, cotton by-products can contribute to the realisation of the Sustainable Development Goals, for example:

Goal 1 (No Poverty),

Goal 8 (Decent Work and Economic Growth),

Goal 9 (Industry, Innovation, and Infrastructure) 

Goal 12 (Responsible Consumption and Production)

In response, the World Trade Organization (WTO), the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) and the International Trade Centre (ITC) formed a joint initiative on cotton by-products.

The initiative responds to requests by developing countries, notably the "Cotton-4" countries (Benin, Burkina Faso, Chad and Mali) and other cotton-producing countries in Africa, for technical assistance to develop value chains and markets for cotton by-products.

The Enhanced Integrated Framework (EIF) funded the first phase of work, involving a feasibility study to identify priority cotton by-products for development in the beneficiary countries.

The study and related dissemination workshops will be implemented in 2019-2021 and will inform subsequent phases of work.

Zambian cotton entrepreneur goes beyond the fibre

28 May 2021

UNCTAD supports efforts to add value to cotton by-products in eastern and southern Africa to make the crop more profitable for farmers.

From fibre to fabric: Celebrating the value of cotton

3 Oct 2019
World Cotton Day highlights cotton's enormous potential to contribute to poverty reduction and sustainable, equitable development.

Unlocking the hidden value of cotton by-products in African least developed countries

1 Oct 2019
Written by
Fabrizio Meliado, Parkhi Vats, Kris Terauds, Matthias Knappe

Partners

WTO, UNCTAD and ITC

Donors

Enhanced Integrated Framework (EIF)

Beneficiaries

Benin, Burkina Faso, Chad, Malawi, Mali, Mozambique, United Republic of Tanzania, Togo, Uganda, Zambia.

Duration

2019-2021

Contact

WTO

Ms. Marième Fall, Counsellor
+41.22.739.5527
[email protected]

Mr. Fabrizio Meliado, Economic Affairs Officer
+41.22.739.6986
[email protected]

UNCTAD

Mr. Kris Terauds, Economic Affairs Officer
+41.22.917.5931
[email protected]

Ms. Danièle Boglio, Staff Assistant
+41.22.917.6286
[email protected]

ITC

Mr. Matthias Knappe, Programme Manager
+41.22.730.0321
[email protected]

Related

Topic

Commodities