WORLD COTTON DAY 2023
The 2023 theme is “Making cotton fair and sustainable for all, from farm to fashion”. This day of recognition was the aftermath of an initiative of the Cotton-4 countries: Benin, Burkina Faso, Chad and Mali. It was launch in 2019 and was hosted by the secretariats of the World Trade Organization (WTO) and the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) in collaboration with the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) and the International Cotton Advisory Committee (ICAC). Sources from the UN indicate that cotton is grown in at least seventy-five (75) countries globally spanning over five continents for commercial purposes.
According to research, cotton belongs to the family of Malvaceae and originated from Africa and Asia. Normally it is natively a perennial plant however, nowadays they are cultivated as annuals. It is mainly grown for its fiber and seeds. There are several types of cotton however, the main types are:
- Gossypium hirsutum Upland Cotton
- Gossypium herbaceum Herbaceous Cotton
- Gossypium barbadense Sea Island Cotton
- Gossypium arboretum Cotton Tree
Years ago, Antigua and Barbuda grew the “Gossypium barbadense” in an abondance. At Dunbars a Cotton Station was established in 1946 and is comprised fourteen (14) acres of cotton lands for its research and seed multiplication programme. The work focused on the “Montserrat Sea Island Cotton” which was the variety of cotton grown in Antigua and Barbuda. This variety is distinctly known for its pure strain, beauty and long lint length.
Presently, according to Mr. Gregory Bailey, Director of Agriculture, cotton is not grown in Antigua and Barbuda for fiber but rather for research and conservation of the species through seed production.