Cotton is the most commonly used natural fibre across the globe. In 2019/20 alone, there were around 122 million bales produced. African cotton accounts for 15% of global production, and cotton produced in West Africa is approximately three quarters of the total African production. Cotton in Africa is mostly grown by smallholder farmers, and harvested by hand, to preserve the integrity of the fibres. Major exporters in Africa include Benin, Mali, the Ivory Coast, Burkina Faso, Nigeria, Tanzania, Uganda, and Zimbabwe. (....)