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The
World's Top Cotton Producers 2022
The Top Cotton Producers
Cotton is present in our everyday life,
from clothes to coffee strainers, and more recently in masks to
control the spread of COVID-19.
As the most-used natural fiber, cotton
has become the most important non-food agricultural product.
Currently, approximately half of all textiles require cotton fibers.
The above infographic lists the world’s
top cotton producers, using data from the
United States Department of Agriculture.
Fancy Fabric
Originating from the Arabic word “quton,”
meaning fancy fabric, cotton is a staple fiber made up of short fibers
twisted together to form yarn.
The earliest production of cotton was
around 5,000 B.C. in India, and today, around 25 million tons of
cotton are produced each year.
Currently, five countries make up around
75% of global cotton production, with China being the world’s biggest
producer. The country is responsible for over 23% of global
production, with approximately
89 million cotton farmers and part-time workers. Cotton’s
importance cannot be understated, as it is the primary input for the
Chinese textile industry along with many other nations’ textile
industries.
The Controversy Over Cotton
Cotton is one of the largest users of
water among all agricultural commodities, and production often
involves applying pesticides that threaten soil and water quality.
Along with this, production often
involves forced and child labor. According to the
European Commission, child labor in the cotton supply chain is
most common in Africa and Asia, where it comes from small-holder
farmers.
In 2020, U.S. apparel maker Patagonia
stopped sourcing cotton from the autonomous territory of Xinjiang
because of reports about
forced labor and other human rights abuses against Uighurs and
other ethnic minorities.
L Brands, the parent company of
Victoria’s Secret, has also committed to eliminating Chinese cotton
from its supply chain. Whether these changes in supply chains impact
China’s cotton production and its practices, cotton remains essential
to materials found across our daily lives.
Green Play Ammonia™, Yielder® NFuel Energy.
Spokane, Washington. 99212
www.exactrix.com
509 995 1879 cell, Pacific.
exactrix@exactrix.com
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