RAPPORT SUR LES MARCHÉS MONDIAUX

The report analyzes the global cotton industry, highlighting the growth of sustainable cotton produced under voluntary sustainability standards (VSS) and the challenges posed by climate change and market volatility. It examines the disparity in value distribution across the textile supply chain, where smallholder farmers receive a minimal fraction of retail prices. While VSS like Better Cotton and Organic can improve yields and incomes, the report notes that many sustainable products are sold at conventional prices. It recommends improving contract transparency, internalizing external costs, and developing regional value chains, particularly in West Africa, to enhance resilience and farmer income.

• Cotton cultivation provides direct livelihoods for approximately 100 million households across 75 countries, the vast majority of which are low-income nations.
• Climate change poses significant risks to cotton production due to the plant's need for precise temperature and humidity; under an extreme scenario (RCP 8.5), at least one climate hazard could drastically affect half of cotton-growing areas by 2040.
• Cotton has a mitigation potential by sequestering 0.5 kg of CO2 per kilogram of fiber produced and is more sustainable than synthetic fibers, emitting one-third less greenhouse gas per kilogram.
• Production of cotton conforming to voluntary sustainability standards (VSS) grew at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 39-40% between 2008 and 2019, representing 25-26% of total global production by 2019.
• A significant gap exists between sustainable production and its market recognition; in 2018, only 25% of cotton produced more sustainably was actually purchased as such.
• The cotton value chain is characterized by extreme inequality: farmers typically receive less than 10% of the retail price of a garment, with some sources citing as little as 2-3%.
• Public subsidies heavily distort the global market, with 84% of the 8 billion USD in subsidies for the 2019-2020 period concentrated in China and the United States.
• Organic cotton can be more profitable than conventional GM cotton; one study in India showed production costs for conventional GM cotton were approximately 21% higher than for organic cotton with comparable yields.
• The COVID-19 pandemic caused significant economic distress for farmers in least developed countries, with export revenues dropping by an average of 34% in nations including Benin, Burkina Faso, Mali, Chad, and Mozambique.

APA

Voora, V., Bermudez, S., Farrell, J. J., Larrea, C., & Luna, E. (2023). RAPPORT SUR LES MARCHÉS MONDIAUX. International Institute for Sustainable Development. https://www.iisd.org/system/files/2023-02/2023-global-market-report-cotton-fr.pdf

Chicago

Voora, Vivek, Steffany Bermudez, Johanna Joy Farrell, Cristina Larrea, and Erika Luna. RAPPORT SUR LES MARCHÉS MONDIAUX. International Institute for Sustainable Development, 2023. https://www.iisd.org/system/files/2023-02/2023-global-market-report-cotton-fr.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Voora |first1=Vivek |last2=Bermudez |first2=Steffany |last3=Farrell |first3=Johanna Joy |last4=Larrea |first4=Cristina |last5=Luna |first5=Erika |title=RAPPORT SUR LES MARCHÉS MONDIAUX |publisher=International Institute for Sustainable Development |date=January 2023 |url=https://www.iisd.org/system/files/2023-02/2023-global-market-report-cotton-fr.pdf |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{voora2023rapport, author = {Voora, Vivek and Bermudez, Steffany and Farrell, Johanna Joy and Larrea, Cristina and Luna, Erika}, title = {{RAPPORT SUR LES MARCHÉS MONDIAUX}}, institution = {International Institute for Sustainable Development}, year = {2023}, month = jan, url = {https://www.iisd.org/system/files/2023-02/2023-global-market-report-cotton-fr.pdf}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }