The economic and social benefits of cotton by-products - such as cotton cakes/meals, husks, linters, stalks and other by-products resulting from the cotton ginning process used in the food and pharmaceutical sectors - have long been recognized by the cotton community. During the meeting, the pressing need for technical assistance in this area was flagged by members, leading to the mandate for this new inter-agency initiative.

The WTO, the International Trade Centre (ITC) and the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) all stressed the importance of the initiative. The WTO made reference to the various cotton-related products listed in the Annex of the Nairobi Ministerial Decision on Cotton. Both ITC and UNCTAD experts introduced their pilot projects, in particular the programme carried out in Zambia by UNCTAD to help local farmers develop by-product strategies. The International Cotton Advisory Committee (ICAC) highlighted the link between increased cotton yields and the development of cotton by-products. The presentations are available here.

The Cotton-4 welcomed the approval of this joint initiative and called for stronger cooperation between the donor community and African countries. The European Union expressed its full support and highlighted its assistance for national reforms through country-specific support based on value chain analysis. The EU presentation is available here.

DDG Wolff and the Ambassador of Benin, speaking on behalf of the Cotton-4 and the other cotton-producing least-developed  countries (LDCs), welcomed the impact this initiative could have on poverty reduction while “increasing the standard of living of women and other most vulnerable and marginalized groups in the cotton by-product value chains”.

Private sector representatives from Brazil and Turkey emphasized the importance of the by-product sectors, which are expanding in their respective markets and at the global level (see the presentations by Brazil and Turkey).

The next step will be a one-day thematic workshop organized by the three agencies back to back with the June 2019 WTO cotton days. It will have three main objectives: 1) present to members a draft joint work programme proposal; 2) present the key elements of a pilot project, in order to prepare a consolidated pilot project proposal by the end of 2019; 3) take note of support pledges by the development community.

DDG Wolff concluded by encouraging members and participants to continue using the Consultative Mechanism as an open forum for project-focused discussions.

All presentations can be found on the new dedicated page for the "Cotton Days".