Brazilian indigenous peoples knew and transformed cotton into threads and rustic fabrics even before the arrival of the Portuguese.

Lint production reached commercial levels and emerged as a promising economic activity for Colonial Brazil.

Brazil had remained relevant in the global cotton market. At the time the country’s Northeast region stood out, leading production.

This small insect brought in from abroad devastated cotton fields, especially in the Northeast, destroying entire growing areas.

In addition to the pest, changes in economic policies contributed to the reduction of more than 60% of the cotton acreage. 800,000 people were unemployed by 1995.

Cotton farming was restored in Brazil through technology advances, and the crop migrated to the Brazilian Midwest, where the plant adapted to the soil and climate.

The organization helped spread new farming techniques and good practices. The creation of Abrapa marks a new phase of prosperity and development for cotton.

Based on regional sustainability practices, a national protocol was established in 2012 for the socio-environmental certification of Brazilian cotton, the ABR..