APPP Policy Brief 8. Reforming Africa’s cotton economies: A ‘second best’ approach
Abstract
The Africa Power and Politics (APPP) Cotton Sector Research Project has examined cotton sector reform experiences in Benin, Burkina Faso, Cameroon and Mali. It concludes that donor recommendations continue to be focused too narrowly on removing policy-induced market distortions in contexts where such policies are not appropriate, given the prevailing combination of market, institutional and policy failures. Analysis of the cotton sector in the four countries suggests the need for more adept handling of market, institutional and policy failures, with more emphasis on what works in specific country contexts, and less on the reduction of inefficiencies. The aim should be ‘second best’ strategies that work with, rather than against, the local grain.
Citation
Serra, R. APPP Policy Brief 8. Reforming Africa’s cotton economies: A ‘second best’ approach. Africa Power and Politics Programme (APPP), London, UK (2012) 4 pp.
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