USAID invests $14.8 million in West African cotton-farming initiative

The United States Agency for International Development (USAID) has invested $14.8 million in the Feed the Future C-4 Cotton Partnership (C4CP) Project in an effort to improve food security by boosting cotton farmers' incomes through better sustainability and partnerships, as well as improving the socio-economic status of women in Benin, Burkina Faso, Mali and Chad (the C-4 countries).

Assistance for the project comes from the International Center for Soil Fertility and Agricultural Development.

Cotton is one of the main agricultural products in the C-4 countries and accounts for a large portion of their export earnings. Through the program, production will be boosted, new partnerships formed and existing ones strengthened. In addition, women in the C-4 nations will reap economic and social benefits.

The C4CP Project will introduce farmers to new technologies and educate them on such topics as soil degradation, climate change and pesticides.

One of the project's first steps will be to connect with major regional players in the cotton sector to be educated on technology. Collaborations with the West African Economic and Monetary Union also will be initiated.

The program also aims to get more women involved in cotton-sector organizations, as well as find ways for them to actively participate.