The cotton sector contributes significantly to the economies of many low-income countries, as a source of employment and livelihoods. It is estimated that cotton sustains about 32 million growers and benefits over 100 million families across about 80 countries in 5 continents.

World Cotton Day (7 October) offers an opportunity to highlight the vital role that cotton plays in economic development, international trade and poverty alleviation.

To mark the celebration, explore a selection of FAO publications that showcase this important commodity. 

OECD-FAO Agricultural Outlook 2025-2034 - Chapter 9 (Cotton) 
This chapter describes market developments and medium-term projections for world cotton markets for the period 2025-34. Projections cover consumption, production, trade and prices for cotton. The chapter concludes with a discussion of key risks and uncertainties which could have implications for world cotton markets over the next decade. You can browse through the full publication here. 

Gender dimension in the Cotton Sector: characterising the role of women
Cotton is an important source of livelihood for millions of smallholders worldwide, with women contributing significantly to cotton farming. And, yet they face disproportionate barriers along the cotton value chain. This factsheet calls for gender-responsive policies and programmes that can help ensure that benefits and incomes generated along the cotton value chain are equitably distributed among women and men.

Bottlenecks, risks and stresses in the cotton supply chain in Burkina Faso - Recommendations to increase its resilience 
Cotton plays an important role in the economy of Burkina Faso, accounting for about 4 percent of GDP and 14 percent of export earnings. The COVID-19 pandemic had a strong impact on international cotton supply chains, with confinement measures affecting sales of textiles and apparel as well as international logistics, which in turn affected cotton markets and disturbed trade and international prices. 

Developments and prospects in the international cotton market
World cotton trade began trending upwards in the early 2000s following the commitments made during the Uruguay Round of the World Trade Organization, and it is projected to expand steadily over the next decade. However, this growth is expected to face several challenges and uncertainties. This policy brief provides an overview of recent developments in the cotton market at both national and international levels and discusses projections and challenges for the world cotton trade in the coming decade.

Further reading

• Rescate de semillas de algodón de colores en la zona del Alto Isoso – Diagnóstico (available in Spanish only) 

• Voices from cotton fields – Fighting child labour in Burkina Faso, Mali and Pakistan 

• The Cotton-4 (C-4) countries in the context of the global cotton market: Situation and short- and medium-term outlook 

• Together we are more cotton 

• Enhancing the cotton sector in Latin America and the Caribbean with innovation’s technologies through South-South cooperation 

• Recent trends and prospects in the world cotton market and policy developments 

• Child Labour − Eliminating child labour and forced labour in cotton-growing communities 

• Azerbaijan: Cotton sector review 

• Situación de las familias productoras de algodón en los países miembros y asociados de Mercosur: el caso de Bolivia – Hoja informativa (available in Spanish only) 

• Situación de las familias productoras de algodón en los países miembros y asociados de Mercosur: el caso de Peru – Hoja informativa (available in Spanish only) 

• Situación de las familias productoras de algodón en los países miembros y asociados de Mercosur: el caso de Paraguay – Hoja informativa (available in Spanish only) 

• Nichos de mercados del algodón (available only in Spanish) 

• Mujeres de algodón: roles de género y participación en las cadenas de valor en Argentina, Bolivia, Colombia, Paraguay y Perú  (available in Spanish only) 

• El estado de arte del sector algodonero en países del Mercosur y asociados (available in Spanish only) 

• FAO Markets and Trade − Cotton