MALI

The cotton sector of Mali consists of two main actors: the cotton producers union “Union Nationale des Sociétés Coopératives Producteurs de Coton” (UNSCPC) and the cotton company “Compagnie Malienne pour le Development du Textile” (CMDT).

CMDT is a parastatal company founded in 1975 and owned by the Malian state (78%), the UNSPCP (20%), and the French Company Geocoton (2%).

FENABE is the leading organic producer organization. Its cooperative members are also members of UNSCPC.

SENEGAL

The cotton sector in Senegal is represented by the Société de Développement et des Fibres Textiles (SODEFITEX) and the Fédération Nationale des Producteurs de Coton (FNPC).

SODEFITEX supervises and trains the producers on the one hand, and on the other, it buys the production, gins the cotton and sells the fibre. The FNPC is a national farmers’ umbrella organisation created by cotton producers to defend their interests. The management mechanism for cotton production is based on a tripartite management system of campaign credit between SODEFITEX, FNPC and LBA (La Banque Agricole).

Cotton production is carried out in the southern third of Senegal by family farms organised into Groupements de Producteurs de Coton (GPC). Organic and Fair Trade cotton were introduced in Senegal in 1994 in the cotton sectors of Kedougou, Saraya, Missirah, Koussanar and Koungheul. Since 2018, following the creation of the CCBE, SODEFITEX and FNPC have started the relaunch of organic and Fair Trade cotton production.

The FNPC is responsible for the organic certification of the production link and SODEFITEX for the certification of the processing and marketing link.

BURKINA FASO

The Burkinabe cotton sector includes three main actors:

the cotton producers represented in the “Union National des Producteurs de Coton du Burkina Faso” (UNPCB), the private cotton companies (SOFITEX, FASO COTON, SOCOMA), and finally the “Association Interprofessionnelle du Coton du Burkina Faso” (AICB) that represents the UNPCB, the government and the cotton companies.

UNPCB has a unit specialized in organic cotton and has been supported by Helvetas from the beginning in 1995 and by the CRS/USDA since 2015.

BENIN

SODECOTON is the leading cotton society in Benin and dominates the sector together with the AIC as inter-professional body including industry and producers and acting as a regulator.

Benin is one of the leading cotton countries in the sub-region.

OBEPAB is the main NGO supporting organic and fairtrade cotton since the early 1990ties.