Cotton for Good: celebrating Cotton and its global impact.


Every year on October 7th, the world comes together to celebrate a natural fiber that has shaped economies, empowered communities, and championed sustainability: cotton. Since its establishment in 2019, World Cotton Day has grown into a global event, shining a spotlight on the vital role cotton plays in our lives and the planet’s future. With the theme “Cotton for Good,” this annual celebration is a call to action to recognize cotton’s contributions and confront the challenges it faces. A Day of Global Recognition The idea for World Cotton Day was first conceived at the International Cotton Advisory Committee (ICAC) in 2018. The following year, the WTO hosted the inaugural event with help from the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), Internationa Trade Centre (ITC), and United Nations, Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD), United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO), and the ICAC. Since then, the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) has joined as the seventh partner organization, and World Cotton Day has been celebrated annually ever since. But no one “owns” World Cotton Day — cotton and textile professionals all over the world organize events to promote the fiber’s benefits and address industry challenges. People have held essay and drawing contests, conducted field visits, organized neighborhood parades, organized online and in-person conferences, and much more. World Cotton Day belongs to everyone in the global cotton textile value chain and the global community does an excellent job of flying cotton’s flag on October 7 of each year.

World Cotton Day was born out of a vision to highlight cotton’s significance in alleviating poverty, empowering women, promoting sustainable practices, and much more. The inaugural event, held in 2019 at World Trade Organization (WTO) headquarters in Geneva, brought together more than 800 participants, including ministers, senior government officials, and industry leaders from around the globe. In 2021 — less than two years after the event was launched — the United Nations reserved October 7 as World Cotton Day on its permanent calendar. This recognition was a monumentally important step, amplifying the event’s visibility and reinforcing the global importance of cotton. It also underscored the UN’s commitment to fostering sustainable practices within the cotton industry and supporting the millions of people whose livelihoods depend on it.

Eric Trachtenberg Executive Director, International Cotton Advisory Committee.


WORLD COTTON DAY

Location: Rome, Metropolitan City of Rome Capital, Italy

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