India, Mali Mark World Cotton Day at UN Headquarters

New Delhi, Oct 9 (KNN) India and Mali jointly organised an event at the United Nations Headquarters in New York on October 7 to mark World Cotton Day, focusing on cotton-based livelihoods, value addition and international partnerships.

The event was organised by the Permanent Missions of India and Mali under the theme “Cotton for Sustainability: Livelihoods, Value Addition and Partnership”. The UN General Assembly designated October 7 as World Cotton Day through Resolution 75/318.

India’s Permanent Representative to the UN, Ambassador Harish Parvathaneni, highlighted the need to support cotton producers, expand value addition and market access, promote sustainability and strengthen technology and partnerships.

Mali’s Permanent Representative to the UN, Ambassador Issa Konfourou, highlighted cotton’s importance to the country’s economy and rural livelihoods. He also pointed to challenges including limited processing capacity, input costs and market access.

Member of Parliament Asit Kumar Mal referred to Kantha embroidery in Bolpur, West Bengal, as an example of value addition to cotton, highlighting its role in women’s livelihoods and resource reuse. Member of Parliament L. K. Sudhish discussed Tamil Nadu’s cotton knitwear and garment industry, including smaller enterprises, shared infrastructure and wastewater recovery in textile processing.

Joint Secretary in the Ministry of Textiles Padmini Singla highlighted India’s cotton sector and its importance to small and marginal farmers. She outlined the Mission for Cotton Productivity and the Kasturi Cotton Bharat initiative, which focus on improving productivity, quality and traceability.

Representatives from several countries, the Food and Agriculture Organization and the International Cotton Advisory Committee also discussed ways to strengthen cotton value chains, improve processing capacity and market access, support smallholders and artisans, and expand international cooperation.

The event included a demonstration of Pen Kalamkari on cotton by a master artisan from India.

(KNN Bureau)