Bangladesh’s garment industry is looking to source cotton from Africa to be used as raw material. Bangladesh’s garment industry mostly depends on imported cotton for raw materials. Bangladesh is currently the second largest cotton importer in the world, sourcing mostly from India and China, but feels Africa is a better source for original cotton.

Import of African cotton is also seen to be more cost-effective compared to other countries. Currently, Bangladesh sources around 20 per cent of its cotton requirements from African countries. Bangladeshi mills also source cotton from like India and the United States. Bangladesh has now a dominant position in cotton with 425 spinning mills. Over the years, Africa contribution to the global cotton supply has increased as of now, about eight per cent of the cotton traded in the world is harvested in sub-Saharan Africa.

In Africa, cotton is almost exclusively grown by smallhold farmers using crop rotation. These farmers work with rain-fed cultivation. The climate, with its high average temperatures and alternation between dry and wet seasons, favors the growth of this natural fiber crop. Burkina Faso is the only West African country to plant Bt cotton, which is resistant to boll worms.