EU providing substantial support to cotton projects

12 Aug '10

2 min read

The European Union is providing substantial funding through its Program for African, Caribbean and Pacific countries (ACP) for two cotton projects.

The EU funding is bringing significant improvements in the operations of cotton quality testing centers in West and Central Africa, and East Africa, and the EU funding is supporting a project to produce contamination-free cotton in West African countries.

Small holders in Africa will benefit from the results of both projects through higher prices for contamination-free cotton that is classified according to international standards.

The ICAC serves as the International Commodity Body for Cotton and Cotton Textiles with the Common Fund for Commodities (CFC). Since the Fund became operational in the early 1990s, a total of 22 cotton projects valued at over $70 million have been supported.

The EU support for the African cotton sector is channeled through the CFC to maximize efficiency in oversight and disbursement and to ensure coherence in program delivery.

Three full projects sponsored by the ICAC and supported by the CFC and the EU, are currently in progress. A project to improve instrument testing of cotton in Africa is developing two regional testing centers in Mali and Tanzania.

A project in Kenya and Mozambique will improve cotton production efficiency in small-scale farming systems. The third project, which is just starting, is focused on producing contamination free cotton.

The support to the cotton sector provided by the EU and the CFC is much appreciated.

International Cotton Advisory Committee (ICAC)

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