ABSTRACT
Colombia has a long tradition of growing cotton. In the 1970s cotton was the nation’s second most important crop, after coffee, but its place in the rural economy gradually declined. The current annual production of about 45,000 mt of fibre is only one-quarter of the output registered in the days when cotton was at its peak. However, the Colombian government has recently placed renewed emphasis on the crop, recognizing cotton’s important role in generating rural employment and its contribution to the country’s textile, apparel and fashion industries.
