In a globalized world economy, the production and sale of cotton is a major issue for the future of a significant portion of humanity. This is particularly true in sub-Saharan Africa, where it is estimated that more than 20 million people derive the bulk of their income from cotton. Thanks to immense efforts by the private sector, the public sector and cooperation agencies, what has been called "white gold" has become the backbone of the economies of many African countries over the past thirty years. Its dissemination has been accompanied by a significant increase in the performance of production systems in savannah areas and, following the redistribution of income that it has allowed in the rural world, a notable improvement in the living conditions of the populations concerned. This undeniable success in the fight against poverty in sub-Saharan Africa is now threatened by the downward trend in world cotton fiber prices, largely caused by the subsidies granted to cotton producers in the North and by the increase in production and transportation costs, mainly linked to the continuing rise in energy prices. The search for fair, efficient and sustainable solutions to the deep crisis currently facing the African cotton industry is an issue to which our institution is particularly sensitive. Not only because of our natural interest in everything related to rural development in Africa, but also because of the long history that links |