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Organization and Performance of Cotton Sectors in Africa ... - infoDev

Organization and Performance of Cotton Sectors in Africa ... - infoDev

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PREFACE<strong>Cotton</strong> is a major source <strong>of</strong> foreign exchange earn<strong>in</strong>gs <strong>in</strong> more than 15 countriesacross all regions <strong>of</strong> Sub-Saharan <strong>Africa</strong>n (SSA) <strong>and</strong> a crucial source <strong>of</strong>cash <strong>in</strong>come for millions <strong>of</strong> rural people <strong>in</strong> these countries. The crop is, therefore,critical <strong>in</strong> the fight aga<strong>in</strong>st rural poverty. The World Bank <strong>and</strong> otherdevelopment <strong>in</strong>stitutions have been <strong>and</strong> are currently assist<strong>in</strong>g many cottonexport<strong>in</strong>gcountries <strong>of</strong> SSA to improve their cotton sector performancethrough projects support<strong>in</strong>g <strong>in</strong>vestment as well as through policy <strong>and</strong> <strong>in</strong>stitutionalreform.Many SSA countries have been implement<strong>in</strong>g or are consider<strong>in</strong>g implement<strong>in</strong>greforms <strong>of</strong> their cotton <strong>in</strong>dustries. The ultimate objective <strong>of</strong> thereform programs is to strengthen the competitiveness <strong>of</strong> cotton production,process<strong>in</strong>g, <strong>and</strong> exports <strong>in</strong> an <strong>in</strong>creas<strong>in</strong>gly dem<strong>and</strong><strong>in</strong>g world market <strong>and</strong> toensure long-term, susta<strong>in</strong>able, <strong>and</strong> equitable growth for these major sectors <strong>of</strong>many <strong>Africa</strong>n economies. The reform programs generally entail redef<strong>in</strong><strong>in</strong>g therole <strong>of</strong> the state; facilitat<strong>in</strong>g greater <strong>in</strong>volvement <strong>of</strong> the private sector <strong>and</strong>farmer organizations; ensur<strong>in</strong>g greater competition <strong>in</strong> <strong>in</strong>put <strong>and</strong> output markets;improv<strong>in</strong>g productivity through research <strong>and</strong> development, extension,<strong>and</strong> technology dissem<strong>in</strong>ation; <strong>and</strong> seek<strong>in</strong>g value addition through marketdevelopment <strong>and</strong> process<strong>in</strong>g <strong>of</strong> cotton l<strong>in</strong>t <strong>and</strong> by-products.This study was undertaken by the Environmentally <strong>and</strong> Socially Susta<strong>in</strong>ableDevelopment Department <strong>of</strong> the <strong>Africa</strong> Region <strong>of</strong> the World Bank to fill a perceivedgap <strong>in</strong> knowledge on the lessons to be drawn from nearly two decades<strong>of</strong> cotton sector reforms <strong>in</strong> SSA. Recent experience <strong>in</strong> policy dialogue, particularlywith West <strong>Africa</strong>n countries, shows that very <strong>of</strong>ten the analytical po<strong>in</strong>ts <strong>of</strong>xiii

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