Cotton is discussed at the WTO on two tracks:
- the trade reforms needed to address subsidies and high trade barriers for cotton, and
- the assistance provided to the cotton sector in developing countries.
The trade aspects of cotton are handled by the Committee on Agriculture in Special Session including through dedicated discussionson trade in cotton. The development assistance aspects of cotton are discussed in the meetings of the “Director-General’sConsultative Framework Mechanism on Cotton”.
These various tracks of discussion have been developed over the years as a response to a series of proposals to address thesector tabled by four African countries — Benin, Burkina Faso, Chad and Mali — known as the Cotton Four or C4.
Click here to access the WTO cotton webpage to learn about background information on the scope and mandate of the WTO workon cotton and access official WTO documents on cotton-related work.
The Secretariat background paper includes factual information and data available from Members’ notifications and other official submissions to the WTO on market access (including non-tariff measures affecting cotton trade), domestic support and export competition in relation to cotton. The document is used to inform discussions on WTO Members’ cotton trade policies that took place biannually at the WTO.
Click here to access the paper and its amendment.
Discussions on the development assistance aspects of cotton take place twice a year in a forum known as the “Director General’s Consultative Framework Mechanism on Cotton”. The main purpose of these discussions is to track developments and exchange information on development assistance provided to developing countries. This is recorded through the so-called “Evolving Table on Cotton”. Click here to access the paper.
| Development Community | Programmes/Projects/Activities | Value | Operational Status | Disbursement Status | Beneficiaries |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Australia | Business Partnerships Platform: ethical cotton production in Kenya | USD 238,193 | IP 2016-18 | Kenya | |
| Australia | Business Partnerships Platform: improving access to global cotton markets for farmers in Pakistan | USD 380,500 | IP 2016-18 | Pakistan | |
| European Commission | Support to cotton recovery plan (Flex 2008) | EUR 8,655,487 | IP 2010-17 | EUR 5 549 311 | Côte d'Ivoire |
| European Commission | Intercoton – Speed up in the law application regarding the rural property sector in the cotton pool | EUR 925,500 | IP 2016-18 | EUR 857 250 | Côte d'Ivoire |
| European Commission | Consolidation of the Action Framework for the EU-Africa Partnership on Cotton | EUR 11,000,000 | IP 2012-18 | EUR 10 189 070 | All African producers |
| France | Support to integrated management of agricultural resources (ASGIRAP) – C2D with a specific component for the enhancement of productivity in the cotton sector | EUR 10,000,000 | IP 2013-17 | EUR 2,937,822 | Cameroon |
| France | C2D support to the cotton sector (road maintenance, animal traction agriculture, advice to producers, strengthening the cooperatives and supporting the interprofession) | EUR 16,930,000 | IP 2013-17 | EUR 16,930,000 | Côte d'Ivoire |
| France | Study to relaunch the cotton sector | EUR 190,000 | IP | Guinea | |
| France | Improvement of productivity and sustainability of farms in cotton areas. Reinforcement of governance of cotton sector within the framework of the institutional reform: strengthening the capacities of the cooperatives and their unions; supporting the interprofessional dialogue; and supporting the development of a concerted policy in cotton areas | EUR 11,000,000 | IP 2008-17 | EUR 8,603,136 | Mali |
| France | Study to facilitate the implementation of price fixing | EUR 11,700 | IP | Zambia | |
| France | Fair trade and organic cotton in West Africa | EUR 3,000,000 | PFS | EUR 3,000,000 | West African countries |
| Germany | Sustainable Agricultural Value Chains and Standards/ Cotton House Africa< | EUR 9,500,000 | IP 2017-2021 | EUR 1,000,000 | Western; Central and Eastern African Countries |
| Germany | Promotion of Innovations in Cotton Production and Cotton Value Chains | EUR 14,000,000 | PFS 2018-2022 | EUR 10,000 | African and Asian Countries |
| Germany | Global Cotton Project | EUR 17,000,000 | PFS 2019-2022 | - | Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Indian, Uzbekistan |
| (Conducted by FiBL) | Research project on approaches for a smart mix | EUR 4,000,000 | IP 2017-2019 |
EUR 4,000,000 | Northern African, Asian countries |
| Netherlands | Initiative Sustainable Trade (IDH): Cotton Value Chain Development | EUR 16,500,000 | PFS 2016-20 | Brazil, China, India, Mali, Pakistan, Tajikistan, Turkey | |
| Sweden | Conservation Cotton TechnoServe Programme: Support to farmers in Northern Uganda to become efficient producers of cotton and staple food crops (in cooperation with jeans manufacturer Edun) | EUR 256,213 | IP 2014-15 | Uganda | |
| Switzerland | Initiative Sustainable Trade (IDH): Cotton Value Chain Development | USD 780,000 | IP 2016-20 | - | Africa, Central Asia, China |
| Switzerland | Value Chain Development of Organic and Fairtrade Cotton | USD 6,900,000 | IP 2013-17 | USD 4,600,000 | Burkina Faso, Mali, Kyrgyz Republic |
| Switzerland | Better Cotton Initiative (BCI): The Delta Project “Bridging the Gap in Measuring Real-Time Sustainability Performance” | USD 1,103,835 | IP 2018-21 | - | Global |
| US | C4 Cotton Partnership Programme (C4CP) | USD 14,800,000 | IP 2014-18 | USD 5,910,000 | C4 |
| US | West Africa Technical Assistance Scholarship Program for Cotton | USD 150,000 | IP 2014-19 | USD 15,483 | C4 and Senegal |
| Brazil | Market outlets for cotton by-products and cotton companion crops in Africa | USD 7,345,862 | IP 2017-21 | USD 489,341 | Cotton-producing countries in Africa |
| Brazil | Programme for the development of the cotton sector in Africa (Benin, Burkina Faso, Chad, Mali, Togo, Mozambique, Malawi, Kenia, Tanzania) | USD 23,840,863 | IP 2012-2022 | USD 12,728,786 | Cotton-producing countries in Africa (15 countries) |
| Brazil (with FAO) | Strengthening of the cotton sector through South-South Co-operation | USD 14,400,000 | IP 2012-18 | USD 7,876,078 | Argentina, Bolivia, Colombia, Ecuador, Paraguay, Peru,Haiti |
| Brazil | South-South cooperation for the promotion of decent work in cotton-producing countries in Africa and Latin America | USD 6.864.706 | IP 2015-19 | USD 2,285,014 | Mali, Mozambique, Paraguay, Peru, Tanzania |
| India | Cotton Technical Assistance Programme | USD 2,848,809 | IP 2011-2018 | FD | Benin, Burkina Faso, Chad, Malawi, Nigeria, Uganda |
| FAO | Competitiveness and sustainable strengthening of the cotton sector through the reinforcement of cotton farmers' capacities in the Integrated Production and Pest Management* | USD 3,315,650 | IP 2012-16 | USD 3,000,000 | Burkina Faso, Mali, Senegal, Tanzania, Zambia |
| ITC | Supporting Indian Trade and Investment for Africa | USD 2,000,000 | IP 2015-20 | Ethiopia, Kenya, Tanzania, Uganda | |
| UNCTAD | Project on cotton by-products in Eastern and Southern Africa. COMESA Regional Cotton to Clothing Strategy | USD 591,000 | IP 2016-19 | USD 336,628 | Tanzania, Uganda, Zambia, Zimbabwe |
|
Benin |
Chercheur, Directeur Général de l'Institut National des Recherches Agricoles (INRAB) Route de Maria Gléta, Godomey, Cotonou République du Bénin |
M. Ygué Patrice ADEGBOLA Tel.: (+229) 97 35 40 56 Email: patrice.adegbola@yahoo.fr |
|
Burkina Faso |
Secrétaire permanent du suivi de la filière coton libéralisée Ministère de l'industrie, du Commerce et de l'Artisanat B.P. 6453, Ouagadougou 01 Burkina Faso |
M. Wilfrid YAMEOGO Tel.: +226 25 40 77 55, +226 70 20 32 16 Email: yamwilfried@yahoo.fr |
|
Burundi |
Conseiller Ministère du Commerce, de l'industrie, des postes et du tourisme B.P. 492 Bujumbura |
M. Patrick NKURUNZIZA Tel. +257 79 900 957; +257 22 226 317 e-mail: nkupat@yahoo.fr |
|
Cameroon |
Sous-Directeur des échanges commerciaux Ministère du Commerce Yaoundé Cameroun |
M. OLINGA Narcisse Ghislain Tel.: +237 697 20 10 50 Email: olinganarcisse@yahoo.fr |
|
Central African Republic |
Coordonateur de la Cellule de gestion des stratégies sectorielle et des projets Ministère du Commerce, de l'industrie, de l'artisanat et des petites et moyennes entreprises B.P. 1988 Bangui |
M. Edmond MOLOGODO Tel.: +236 2161 1055 Fax: +236 2161 7656 e-mail: infos@minco-rca.org |
|
Chad |
Directrice Adjointe, Direction du Commerce Extérieur Ministère de l'Économie, du Commerce et du Développement Touristique B.P. 424, N'Djaména Tchad |
Ms Achta AHMAT BREME Tél. +235 66 094748; +235 66 241850; +235 77 241850 Fax: +235 252 53 64 Email: bachta32@yahoo.ca |
|
Côte d'Ivoire |
Directeur des organisations et de la commercialisation des produits de base Ministère du Commerce Abidjan |
M. Edmond Vénance KODJO Tel.: +225 08526968; +225 06498246 e-mail: venancekodjo@yahoo.fr |
|
Democratic Republic of Congo |
Conseillère en charge des accords commerciaux et de l'intégration commerciale Ministère de l'Économie et Commerce |
Mrs. Youyou BAENDE BOFOTA Tel.: +243 995 024 658 e-mail: youyou_baende@yahoo.com |
|
Mali |
Économie et Finances Ministère de l'Économie et des Finances BP 234, Bamako République du Mali |
Mme Doucouré Dougoubarka Sylla Tel: + 22 3222 5858, +22 3678 2391 Fax: +22 3222 1914 Email: mmedouc@yahoo.fr |
|
Mozambique |
Director of the Mozambique National Institute of Cotton Ministry of Agriculture Praça dos Heróis Moçambicanos Maputo Mozambique |
Mr. Norberto Mapéezuane MAHALAMBE Tel.: +258 21 431015/6 Fax: +258 21 430679 e-mail: nmahalambe@iam.gov.mz |
|
South Africa |
Department of Agriculture International Trade Directorate Private Bag X791, Pretoria 0001 South Africa |
Mr. Günter Müller Tel: +27 12 319 8015 Fax: +27 12 319 8001 Email: guntermu@nda.agric.za |
|
Sudan |
Director of World Trade Accession Unit (WACU) Ministry of Agriculture and Forest Khartoum Sudan |
Mrs. Widad Adelrhman Tel.: +249 8379 3425 Mobile: +249 9171 72098 Fax: +249 8378 2027 e-mail: cottonsudan@gmail.com |
|
Swaziland |
Swaziland Cotton Board Ministry of Agriculture and Cooperatives P.O. Box 220 Manzini Swaziland |
Mr. Tom Jele Tel.: +268 505 2775 Fax: +268 505 2775 Email: dlaminiaa@gov.sz |
|
Uganda |
Assistant Commissioner for Internal Trade Department Ministry of Trade, Industry and Cooperatives Kampala, Uganda |
Ms Elizabeth Tamale Tel. +256 762 995 883 e-mail: Elizabeth.tamale@gmail.com |
|
Zambia |
Ministry of Agriculture and Cooperatives Lusaka Zambia |
The Permanent Secretary Tel.: +260 211 253 933 Fax: +260 211 250 305 Email: pcd@maff.gov.zm |
|
Zimbabwe |
Department of International Trade Ministry of Industry and International Trade P. Bag 7708, Causeway, Harare Zimbabwe |
Mrs. Beatrice Mutetwa Tel: + 26 3479 3461 Fax: +26 3472 3765 Email: bmutetwa@indandcom.co.zw |
Ag-IMS provides access to documents and records relevant under the WTO Agreement on Agriculture.
The system allows users to search and analyse (i) agriculture-related information notified by the Members and (ii) questions raised and responses provided in the context of the Review Process carried out by the Committee on Agriculture.
Click here to search agriculture notifications to the WTO.
Click here to search and analyze notified agriculture information at the WTO.
Click here to search and analyze relevant discussions held at the WTO Committee on Agriculture.