Africa’s Top Cotton Grower Readies for EU Rules With Green Push
- Mali is investing $40 million to green energy in cotton sector
- West African nation is also tackling child labor, soil health
Cotton is Mali’s second-biggest export after gold.
Photographer: Florent Vergnes/AFP/Getty ImagesThis article is for subscribers only.
Mali, Africa’s biggest cotton producer, plans to invest in clean energy and tackle issues like child labor and soil health to make its output more competitive in the European market.
More than half of Mali’s cotton is processed in Bangladesh and typically ends up being sold as ready-made clothing in Europe and other key markets, said Mamadou Moustapha Diarra, the chief executive officer of the state-owned textile development company, CMDT.