Some cotton farmers gathering their produce.
Cotton farmers in West Africa are being “locked into poverty” as a result of actions by America and the European Union, according to fair trade campaigners.
The Fairtrade Foundation said that cotton should have been white gold helping million of farmers in the sub-region flee from poverty to earn a decent living but a “wall of free cash” being given to farmers in the US and European countries was having an overwhelming effect on the industry of other parts of the globe.
The London Metro daily quoted the group on Monday as saying that the US and EU together have “lavished” almost £20 billion over the past nine years on cotton farmers, holding down prices in western Africa, and so perpetuating reliance on aid.
The EU pays out $2.51 per pound of cotton to support its 100,000 cotton growers, which is more than the market price for cotton.
It is estimated that lost income to West African cotton producing nations through the price dampening effect of subsidies totals $250m each year.
The West African nations of Benin, Burkina Faso, Chad and Mali, known as the Cotton-4 (C-4), produce the cheapest cotton in the world.
The foundation said it was launching a campaign to demand the EU to scraps its trade distorting cotton subsidies in a move that would isolate the US which dishes out $24.25bn to just 3,500 farms.