At these workshops, organized with the support of the Enhanced Integrated Framework, key stakeholders including cotton farmers, government representatives and development partners will discuss the findings of the feasibility studies and provide feedback and recommendations to be reflected in the final versions. Each report will include recommendations on how farmers could benefit more from cotton-by-products and elements of a business plan to facilitate future investment decisions.

The final reports will be published as official WTO documents and presented at the next WTO cotton meetings scheduled for 12-13 November.

The WTO-UNCTAD-ITC joint initiative was launched in November 2018 to analyse the economic potential of cotton by-products development in the least-developed countries, in response to a request by the Cotton-4 countries. The ultimate goal is to assist cotton-producing countries in creating new income streams for farmers and processors. The first phase of the initiative was for each participating country to conduct country-based feasibility assessment studies to prepare the way for potential fund-matching at a later stage.

Programmes

29 September 2020

9:15 - 10:00

Opening session featuring the WTO’s introduction to the initiative and speeches delivered by Cotton-4 coordinators, UNCTAD, ITC and EIF.

10:00 - 13:00

Workshop: Feasibility study on “Technology and know-how transfer for the development of cotton co-products”: case of Benin

15:00 - 18:00

Feasibility study on “Technology and know-how transfer for the development of cotton co-products”: case of Mali

30 September 2020

10:00 - 13:00

Workshop: Feasibility study on “Technology and know-how transfer for the development of cotton co-products”: case of Chad

15:00 - 18:00

Feasibility study on “Technology and know-how transfer for the development of cotton co-products”: case of Burkina Faso

9 October 2020

Opening session featuring the WTO’s introduction to the initiative and speeches delivered by the Mozambique Cotton and Oilseeds Institute, UNCTAD, ITC and EIF.

Feasibility study on “Technology and know-how transfer for the development of cotton co-products”: case of Mozambique