The ongoing rapid rise of cotton prices might change the focus on alternative natural fibres putting countries with traditional textile production like Mali, Ethiopia or Ghana more into focus. The relation of social and economic development is obvious in the field of cotton production but also in still vital traditions of production ways like handlooming. The cotton price rally could also hit China as the world biggest cotton producer and as the largest importer facing strong domestic demand. Some cotton expoerters like India have alreadzy limited or reduced their export volume to China due to its own domestic demand and the new price chances and challenges.

A broader and more sensitive understanding of social, economic and ecological interrelations of natural fibre production might become of more common interest also inspite of dumping wages and salaries below 20 USD a month in some cotton producing countries. A rennaissance of natural fibres and traditional ways of production could become a positive side effect of the shortage for the respective producers,