White cotton buds are gathered at a farm in Soclogbo, on January 13, 2025. Benin, one of Africa's leading cotton producers, is betting in part on local cotton processing to boost its economic growth. The West African country, which used to export its raw cotton, now wants to produce and export large quantities of 100% Beninese clothing. The Glo-Djigbé Industrial Zone (GDIZ), a large factory in the south of the country, recently opened its doors to process cotton into finished products. (Photo by OLYMPIA DE MAISMONT / AFP) (Photo by OLYMPIA DE MAISMONT/AFP via Getty Images)