4. Sustainable development and cotton growing

According to the commonly accepted definition given in the Brundtland Report , sustainable development means "meeting the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs". It is based on three pillars: environmental, economic and social, with the aim of being simultaneously viable (environmental and economic pillars), equitable (economic and social pillars) and liveable (social and environmental pillars).

Initially, questions about sustainable development came from downstream: users, distributors and consumers. The sustainability of the cotton industry is no exception, and its negative effects...