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7000 BCE
Where did Cotton REALLY come from?
No one knows exactly how old cotton is. Scientists searching Open Cotton Bollcaves in Mexico found bits of cotton bolls and pieces of cotton cloth that proved to be at least 7,000 years old. They also found that the cotton itself was much like that grown in America today. -
6000 BCE
First Sustainable Evidence
The first evidence of cotton use was found in India and Pakistan, and dates from about 6,000 B.C. Scientists believe that cotton was first cultivated in the Indus delta. The species used in ancient South Asia were Gossypium herbaceum and Gossypium arboretum which originated in India and Africa. -
800
So what happened next?
Arab merchants brought cotton cloth to Europe about 800 A.D. -
1492
Columbus in Fashion??
When Columbus discovered America in 1492, he found cotton growing in the Bahama Islands. By 1500, cotton was known generally throughout the world. -
More cotton history facts
Cotton seeds were believed to have been planted in Florida in 1556 and in Virginia in 1607. By 1616, colonists were growing cotton along the James River in Virginia. -
Invention of the Cotton Gin
Eli Whitney, a native of Massachusetts, secured a patent on the cotton gin in 1793, though patent office records indicate that the first cotton gin may have been built by a machinist named Noah Homes two years before Whitney’s patent was filed. The gin, short for engine, could do the work 10 times faster than by hand. -
19th Century
Till the middle of the 19th century, India was the main provider of cotton fiber for Europe’s cotton industries. By then, cotton had become the backbone of the southern North American economy, which was essentially based on slavery work. Due to the higher quality of American cotton (longer and stronger fibers) and its cheaper price, European textile manufacturers started purchasing cotton from American plantations. -
Fast forward to 2020
The majority of the cotton comes from India, the United States and China – the world’s top three cotton producers.
Each year, India produces an average of 5,770 thousand metric tonnes of cotton making it the world’s highest producer.
The United States is a key producer and exporter of cotton. It produces 3,999 thousand metric tonnes a year.
Ways to produce cotton while caring for the environment are at the forefront of conversations in the drive for sustainability. -
Future of Cotton
What is cotton today and what does the future hold?
Today cotton is still one of the most important natural fibers on earth, used by everyone every day.
More than 25 million tons are produced each year, supporting at least 250 million people involved in growing, transporting, weaving and otherwise processing the fiber.
(http://wsafety-news.com/blog/replacing-cotton-fabrics-that-represent-the-future-of-sustainable-fashion/)
