Brasília, September 26, 2023 – The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) and the Brazilian Cooperation Agency (ABC), of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MRE), will hold from October 4th to 6th, in Brasília (DF), the Cotton Week in Latin America and the Caribbean 2023, with a series of actions to celebrate the World Cotton Day. 

FAO and ABC, through the South-South +Cotton Cooperation Project, organize the Week to celebrate this date. The occasion will also be an opportunity to publicize the joint South-South Cooperation initiatives that have been promoted in the region for 10 years to support the strengthening of the cotton value chain. The +Cotton Project is implemented in seven countries: Argentina, Bolivia, Colombia, Ecuador, Haiti, Paraguay, and Peru. 

World Cotton Day, approved by the United Nations (UN) General Assembly in 2021 and celebrated on October 7, aims to increase the visibility of the cotton sector and its role in economic development, international trade, social inclusion and in poverty reduction, especially for family cotton farming in developing countries. 

“Together with World Cotton Day, we are celebrating a decade of a successful partnership between FAO and ABC in promoting the strengthening of the cotton value chain, supporting the improvement of production, the training of family farmers, in promoting sustainable practices and valuing this important agricultural sector in our region. We are celebrating the positive results of this cooperation”, comments Adriana Gregolin, coordinator of the +Cotton Project at FAO. 

For Cecília Malaguti, responsible for trilateral South-South Cooperation with ABC International Organizations, "as we celebrate World Cotton Day, we reaffirm the importance of Brazilian trilateral South-South Cooperation in the cotton sector, in which the wires of national expertise are intertwine with global aspirations. This sophisticated partnership not only strengthens Brazil's position as a leader in cotton production, but also sows the benefits of sustainability, innovation and prosperity, weaving a promising future for everyone involved." 

Dialogues between Ministers and collection launch

Representatives from the governments of Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador, Paraguay, and Peru, from the cotton sector, from the textile industry and artisans will participate in the week's activities. 

On the 4th, in the morning, a Ministerial Forum on public policies and the competitiveness of the regional cotton sector will be held at the FAO office in Brasília, with the participation of Ministers and Deputy Ministers of Agriculture from Latin American countries. 

From 4pm onwards, a major event is planned at the National Museum of the Republic, in which fashion, culture and dialogue will celebrate the success of cooperation, in favor of strengthening the cotton sector, between Brazil, FAO and Latin American countries. The event will start with the talk-show "Trends in Fashion and Materiality in Latin America", which will have free entry to the public interested in the topic, such as fashion and design students, representatives of the textile and clothing sector. 

Next, the fashion show "Latin America dresses in cotton", will launch an exclusive collection made up of more than 30 looks that highlight the influence of Latin American culture in the world of fashion, addressing the ancestry of cotton cultivation and handling, and incorporating ancient artisanal techniques and embroidery from Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador, Paraguay, and Peru. 

All pieces were made with cotton produced by family farmers and were curated by the Colombian designer Juan Pablo Martinez. The launch event will be signed by Paulo Borges, creative partner, and founder of São Paulo Fashion Week. At the end, at 7pm, a projection on the Dome of the National Museum of the Republic will show images related to Latin American cotton. 

Regional Forum and Technical Visit 

In the morning of October 5th, the 5th meeting of the Regional Cotton Forum will be held, at the head office of the Brazilian Association of Cotton Producers (Abrapa), with the theme: “Regenerative cotton fiber and adaptation to climate change”. In the afternoon, the International Delegation will visit Abrapa's Brazilian analysis center, and participate in the lecture “Fiber quality standards and good cotton traceability practices: Experience of the Brazilian cotton system”. 

Tribute in the Federal Senate 

In the morning of October 6th, World Cotton Day will be celebrated with a regional seminar “Challenges and opportunities for the availability of quality seeds for the Latin American cotton sector” will be held at the FAO office in Brasília. In the afternoon, in a solemn session in the Federal Senate to close  the Cotton Week in Latin America and the Caribbean 2023.

Project + Cotton 

In Latin America, cotton production involves thousands of family farmers. According to data obtained by the +Cotton Project, in 2019, there were a total of 131,500 cotton producers in the region, of which 77% were family farmers. 

The +Cotton Project completes 10 years in 2023, and already allocated more than US$12 million in regional actions and in partner countries, with financial resources from the Brazilian Cotton Institute (IBA), in addition to technical and human resources from Brazilian partner institutions, specialized in the topic. The project partners are the Brazilian Agricultural Research Corporation (Embrapa), the Paraibana Research, Rural Extension and Land Regularization Company (Empaer-PB) and Abrapa.

During this period, more than 14 thousand families and more than 9,700 producers have already benefited, participating in training courses, field days and other activities developed by the project, which improved their knowledge at all stages, from planting to marketing.