ETUDE HISTORIQUE ET VALORISATION PATRIMONIALE DE L’INDUSTRIE COTONNIERE AU TCHAD : DE LA STT A LA NSTT DE 1965 – 2020.

Rural development in Africa in general and in Chad in particular is at the heart of peasant political aspirations, as cotton is the raw material for crops grown in Chad. It has a socio-historical character in its establishment phase in the different exploitation zones. This culture has transformed the society of the Chadian man, his daily life and the way he envisages his future. A historical study of this rich heritage, which includes the history of a community that later became an industry with a finished product, cotton (textiles), is therefore envisaged. It is part of the vast field of social sciences and particularly the study of industrial heritage, in its sociological and anthropological dimensions through the analysis of cultural, economic, social and technical wealth of the land. This theme involves societal and peasant capacities, the stakes of this culture, the techniques of traditional transformation of cotton fiber, its manufacture, its spinning, until the final labeling. The practical objective of this research is also to promote cultural, industrial and ecotourism in Chad as a real contribution to local development. After independence in 1960, the history of cotton cultivation was introduced and continued with the creation of the Société Tchadienne des Textile (created in 1965) to gin cotton, transform it locally, and that of some by-products resulting from this transformation : oil, soap, and food products necessary for animal grazing. This was followed by the idea of thinking about rational processing (so-called semi-industrial spinning) and manufacturing some textiles nationally thanks to locally grown cotton, which enabled the national economy to be reclaimed : considered as a raw material, cotton was one of the so-called prospect crops. Chad, a landlocked country, began to cultivate this commodity and a few food crops that allowed the survival of the peasant population and to supply a few newly created companies and factories that functioned thanks to the by-product of cotton, as well as sesame and sugar cane. This allowed for a system of operation of its so-called "semi-industrial" factories and this thanks to the agri-food industries turned towards self-consumption such as the Compagnie Sucrière du Tchad (CST), the Manufacture de la Cigarette du Tchad (MCT), the Société cotonnière du Tchad (Coton Tchad) which, by its profitability, is a company that feeds the Chadian economy, generates a lot of goods, and employs a large workforce. It is in this context of the creation of agri-food industries that Chad created the Société Tchadienne de Textile (STT) in 1965 in Fort Archambault, and this thanks to the existence of one of the largest companies : Coton Tchad, in order to gin cotton locally, through spinning, weaving and handling finished cotton products for export. Chad is the main producer of cotton in the franc zone, accounting for one-third of the harvest. This crop is grown mainly in the southwest of the country, where only one textile factory exists. Since 2009, Chad has seen a surge in foreign investment, attracted by the oil sector (refinery) and industrial projects. Net foreign direct investment represented 19.6% of GDP in 2011, a level well above the average for Sub-Saharan Africa. There were very few factories and agricultural support structures in this country before independence, as they produced few raw materials and represented a limited market. After independence, many factories were created to satisfy local and vital needs, using cotton and some agricultural products and jute-like fibers, produced in increasing quantities locally.

Le développement rural en Afrique de manière générale et au Tchad en particulier est au cœur de l’aspiration politique paysanne, le coton étant la matière première de cultures cultivées au Tchad. Il revêt un caractère socio-historique dans sa phase d’implantation dans les différentes zones d’exploitation. Cette culture a transformé la société de l’homme tchadien, son vécu quotidien et la manière dont il envisage son futur. Une étude historique de ce patrimoine riche et regroupant l’histoire d’une communauté, par la suite devenue une industrie avec un produit fini le coton (textile) est donc envisagée. Elle s’inscrit dans le vaste domaine des sciences sociales et particulièrement l’étude du patrimoine industriel, dans ses dimensions sociologiques et anthropologiques à travers l’analyse des richesses culturelles, économiques, sociales et techniques du terroir. Cette thématique implique aux capacités sociétales et paysannes, aux enjeux de cette culture, aux techniques de transformation traditionnelle de la fibre du coton, sa fabrication, sa filature, jusqu’ à la labélisation finale. L’objectif pratique de cette recherche est aussi de faire de la promotion du tourisme culturel, industriel, de l’écotourisme au Tchad comme un véritable apport au développement local. Après l’indépendance en 1960, l’histoire de la culture du coton fut introduite et s’est poursuivie avec la création de la Société Tchadienne des Textile (créée en 1965) pour égrainer le coton, le transformer localement, et celle de quelques produits dérivés issus de cette transformation : huilerie, savonnerie, et produits alimentaires nécessaires aux pâturages des animaux. S’ensuit l’idée de penser au traitement rationnel (filature dite semi-industrielle) et de fabriquer quelques textiles sur le plan national grâce au coton qui est cultivé localement et qui permet de reconquérir l’économie nationale : considéré comme matière première, le coton fut l’une des cultures dites de prospection.