Cotton sustains more than 100 million families worldwide
A single metric tonne of cotton provides jobs for five people on average, often in some of the world’s most impoverished regions; that adds up around 100 million families across the globe.
A single metric tonne of cotton provides jobs for five people on average, often in some of the world’s most impoverished regions; that adds up around 100 million families across the globe.
For some farmers in India, cotton yields have become a life-or-death matter.
In India's Maharashtra state, three million farmers depend on cotton for their livelihoods.
In 2014, failed harvests resulted in such dire financial circumstances, that nearly 1,000 farmers committed suicide.
Now, the UN is helping farmers learn new ways of growing cotton that are not only alleviating debt, but also protecting the environment.
Anu Anand has the story.
Duration: 3’58”