Cotton bales, Ivory Coast

Gossypium hirsutum from the British West Indies is the most cultivated cotton plant species in the world and was introduced in West Africa in the 19th century. At the beginning of the 20th century, the European colonial powers encouraged cotton production to counter the United States’ and Egypt’s exportation monopoly at a time when this raw material represented 80 percent of the world’s textile market (compared to 39 percent today since the development of synthetic fabrics). Producing and making cotton still employs about 1 billion people on the planet. Prices which have been halved since 1995 have put certain countries in difficult situation, especially in West and Central Africa. With the input costs - cotton cultivation alone uses a quarter of pesticides sold in the world - and the marginalization of producers, some governments have encouraged the use of less pesticides and the production of fair trade cotton to ensure that producers are better paid and that their working conditions are aligned with international norms.