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 |
USD 238,193 |
Kenya |
|
Australia |
Business Partnerships Platform: improving access to global cotton markets for farmers in Pakistan PHASE I |
USD 380,500 |
IP 2016-18 |
USD 380,500 |
Pakistan |
|
Australia |
Business Partnerships Platform: improving access to global cotton markets for farmers in Pakistan PHASE II |
USD 365,000 |
IP 2018-2020 |
Pakistan |
|
|
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 |
Global Project "Sustainability and value added in the cotton economy" |
EUR 17,000,000 |
IP 2019-2023 |
- |
Burkina Faso, Cameroon, India, 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 |
IP 2016-20 |
EUR 8,792,538 |
China, India, Mali, Mozambique, Pakistan, Senegal, 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 |
West Africa Technical Assistance Scholarship Program for Cotton |
USD 150,000 |
IP 2014-19 |
USD 67,445 |
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 26,385,389 |
IP 2012-2022 |
USD 14,980,779 |
Cotton-producing countries in Africa (15 countries) |
|
Brazil |
Strengthening of the cotton sector through South-South Co-operation |
USD 14,400,000 |
IP 2012-19 |
USD 9,002,334 |
Argentina; Bolivia, Plurinational State of; 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 2,529,990 |
Mali, Mozambique, Paraguay, Peru, Tanzania |
|
Brazil |
Support to small-scale cotton producers and public institutions in selected African countries in the production and commercialization of cotton by-products (such as oil and cottonseed meal) and products from other crops combined to cotton production (such as corn, sorghum and bean) - "Beyond Cotton" project |
USD 7,345,862 |
IP 2017-21 |
USD 489,341 |
Benin, Mozambique, Kenya, 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 451,000 |
Tanzania, Uganda, Zambia, Zimbabwe |
|
UNIDO |
The Egyptian Cotton Project (donor: Italian Agency for Development Cooperation) |
USD 1,500,000 |
IP 2017-19 |
Egypt |
|
Benin |
Chercheur, Directeur Général de l'Institut National des Recherches Agricoles (INRAB) |
M. Ygué Patrice Adegbola |
|
Burkina Faso |
Secrétaire permanent du suivi de la filière coton libéralisée |
M. Jean Pierre Guinko |
|
Burundi |
Directeur Général de l'Industries |
M. Emmanuel Mbonihankuye |
|
Cameroon |
Sous-Directeur des échanges commerciaux |
M. Olinga Narcisse Ghislain |
|
Central African Republic |
Coordonateur de la Cellule de gestion des stratégies sectorielle et des projets |
M. Edmond Mologodo |
|
Chad |
Point Focal Coton |
M. Ousmane Hassan Abakar |
|
Côte d'Ivoire |
Directeur des organisations et de la commercialisation des produits de base |
M. Edmond Vénance Kodjo |
|
Democratic Republic of Congo |
Conseillère en charge des accords commerciaux et de l'intégration commerciale |
Ms. Youyou Baende Bofota |
|
Eswatini |
Swaziland Cotton Board |
M. Tom Jele |
|
Mali |
Point Focal Coton (provisoire) |
M. Mamadou Moctar Diarra |
|
Mozambique |
Director of the Mozambique National Institute of Cotton |
M. Luis Tomo |
|
South Africa |
Department of Agriculture |
M. Günter Müller |
|
Sudan |
Director of World Trade Accession Unit (WACU) |
Ms. Widad Adelrhman |
|
Uganda |
Assistant Commissioner for Internal Trade Department |
Ms. Elizabeth Tamale |
|
Zambia |
Ministry of Agriculture and Cooperatives |
The Permanent Secretary |
|
Zimbabwe |
Department of International Trade |
Ms. Beatrice Mutetwa |
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