The Sofitel Hotel in Cotonou is hosting the celebration of World Cotton Day. The official events were launched on Monday, October 7, 2024 in the presence of some members of governments of Benin, representatives of international organizations and actors in the sector

The launch ceremony took place in Cotonou at Sofitel in the presence of Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, Director General of the WTO, Eric Trachtenberg, Executive Director of the International Cotton Advisory Committee (CCIC), and Abdoulaye Bio Tchane, Minister of State for Development and Coordination of Action governmental.

While this new edition also brings together several players in the cotton value chain, Moussa Allassane Diallo, Minister of Industry and Trade of Mali and Coordinator of the C4+ countries and Coordinator of C4+ countries (Benin, Mali, Mali, Chad, Burkina Faso and Ivory Coast), recalls that the problem of subsidies in the sector remains current despite attempts committed since the beginning of the 2000s.

“The failure of negotiations [aimed at phasing out cotton subsidies in Cancún, editor's note] is in part due to the dilution of cotton discussions in the overall framework of agricultural negotiations. In this context, the members of C4 plus Côte d'Ivoire believe that there is a need to change the paradigm by giving priority to endogenous development through the on-site processing of cotton in our countries through the implementation of structural projects in the cotton sector while pursuing the noble mission of fighting for the reduction or even elimination of the domestic support granted by developed countries and certain developing countries to their cotton farmers. The economic, sustainable, participatory and inclusive development of our countries will only happen with industry or will not happen. The industrialization of our countries to transform our raw materials, especially cotton, in order to create added value and jobs is not an emergency, it is a requirement,” he underlines

Abundant in this sense, Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala specifies that global grants were estimated at $8 billion in 2022/2023 by the CCIC. This is an increase of 66% compared to last year, most of which comes from three countries (China, USA and India).

“These subsidies are lowering global prices and hurting C4+ producers. We have to face reality. Over the past 20 years, WTO members have not made sufficient progress either in the wider context of agricultural negotiations or on the specific issue of subsidies and tariffs on cotton. Continued distortions in international markets continue to prevent the equitable participation of many cotton-producing countries. It is a collective failure of WTO members that we must face,” she acknowledges

For his part, Mr. Tchané emphasized the importance of cotton value chains and called for particular emphasis to be placed on producers who supply the raw material to the global fiber circuit.

“It is important that this World Day edition celebrates not only cotton, but also the deepening of work on the diversification of cotton products. She must tell all farmers that there is hope and prospects in this sector,” he pleaded during his opening speech at the event