Bamako, Mali
January 13, 2005
The United States wants to work
cooperatively with cotton-producing countries in West Africa to
address the region's cotton production and promotion issues,
says Jim Butler, deputy under secretary of agriculture for farm
and foreign agricultural services.
Addressing West African government
officials and cotton producers January 13 in Bamako, Mali,
Butler also said economic development questions linked to cotton
should be kept separate from the trade policy track being
negotiated in the World Trade Organization (WTO).
The cooperative approach to help West Africa's cotton producers
would involve both the public and private sectors, Butler told
the officials, some of whom toured U.S. cotton industry
facilities in July 2004.
The U.S. private sector, for instance, can help West African
countries acquire new agricultural technologies, such as
cottonseed that has been genetically enhanced, Butler said.
In addition, the U.S. government can help the countries evaluate
new technologies and establish control systems, he said.
Butler said the United States is asking developing countries to
participate in WTO talks aimed at changing cotton support
programs worldwide.
He said developing countries are being asked to adopt trade
reforms, including reducing trade barriers and unfair practices,
"but to a much lesser degree than developed countries."
Through various efforts, such as the Bush administration's new
supplemental aid program, the Millennium Challenge Account
(MCA), the United States wants to encourage entrepreneurship in
West Africa's cotton industry, Butler said. The West Africa
countries of Benin, Mali and Senegal have been named eligible to
submit proposals for MCA funding.
MCA can help "stimulate" West Africa's private sector, including
cotton farmers, he said.
Butler said the U.S. Cotton Council, a trade group that
represents the U.S. cotton industry, is helping the Department
of Agriculture analyze the West African cotton sector.
Copyright © 2005 United States Department of State
Source:
United States Department of State
via AllAfrica via
Checkbiotech
Washington, DC
January 14, 2005
U.S. agencies discuss economic
development issues with West African countries
A U.S. government delegation has pledged to assist the West
African nations of Benin, Burkina Faso, Chad, Mali and Senegal
in addressing developmental aspects of their cotton industries.
The delegation, led by Deputy Under Secretary for Farm and
Foreign Agricultural Services Jim Butler and including other
officials from the State Department, U.S. Agency for
International Development (USAID) and the National Cotton
Council, met with officials from these nations in Bamako, Mali.
This effort builds on commitments made at a science and
technology ministerial conference in Burkina Faso last year that
was jointly hosted by USDA, the U.S. Department of State, USAID
and the Burkina Faso Ministry of Agriculture, Water and
Fisheries Resources. At that ministerial, USDA and the African
Agricultural Technology Foundation agreed to share agricultural
technologies to improve African production systems and promote
economic development in the region.
Some of the main items discussed included helping West
African cotton farmers improve their crops by more effective use
of fertilizers, water management, biotechnology and integrated
pest management.
A follow-up conference in Mali in June 2005 will examine
technologies that can benefit West African cotton production and
quality. Additional technical assistance and training will help
government officials develop biosafety regulations appropriate
for biotech cotton and other crops. Under the Cochran and
Borlaug Fellowship programs, USDA’s Foreign Agricultural Service
will invite West African officials and scientists to the United
States to learn more about cotton classification procedures and
soil science. Both of these programs provide agricultural
training opportunities for scientists and policy makers in
developing countries.
The United States is also working with international
financial institutions to strengthen the performance of the
agriculture sector in West Africa and will participate in a
conference in March 2005 under the auspices of the New
Partnership for Africa's Development that will discuss ways to
bolster the agricultural economy of the region.
Source: USDA |
