A plain cotton T-shirt is a pretty ordinary item of clothing. But for Benin, a country on the west coast of Africa with little manufacturing tradition, it is intended to be the start of an industrial revolution. Benin, a nation of 13mn people, is trying to achieve what few African countries have managed: systematically transform raw materials — not just cotton, but also raw cashew nuts, soya, shea and even human hair for wigs — into finished goods. Until now, like many poor countries, Benin has been trapped in a trading pattern in which it sells cheap raw commodities and imports expensive finished goods. The apparel industry, which relies on cheap labour once machines have churned out the yarn and fabric, has long been considered one of the most accessible rungs on the ladder of industrialisation, drawing workers from the countryside into factories and putting countries on the long road out of poverty.
Benin’s Farm to Fashion Revolution
