Commodity-producing African, Caribbean and Pacific (ACP) countries have struggled to stay competitive in the global marketplace. Deregulation and liberalization have gradually eroded their capacity to develop and implement strategies to improve productivity and rural livelihoods. With €45 million in funding, the 'All ACP Agricultural Commodities Programme' (AAACP), which ran from 2007 to 2011, drew on the expertise of five international organizations, including FAO, to reduce the vulnerability of the commodities sectors and producers in those three regions.

FAO, with one-fourth of the AAACP programme funding, carried out a project titled "All ACP Support Programme on Agricultural Commodities, including Cotton" (GCP/INT/045/EC) in Benin, Burkina Faso, Mali and Senegal. The project aimed to reduce the income vulnerability of poorer farmers by developing local capacities and adoption of Good Agricultural Practices and Integrated Production and Pest Management (IPPM) to increase productivity and income of cotton farmers, environmental sustainability and farmers’ health. In addition to building the capacities of farmers and technical trainers, the project also strengthened the capacities of selected local partners to manage quality farmer field schools (FFS) training programmes, and conducted awareness-raising activities.

Project activities built on existing initiatives in line with national strategies for agriculture sector development and sectoral programmes of subregional bodies, and contributed to priorities under the EU policy framework and the Action Plan for the Implementation of the EU-Africa Partnership for Cotton.

Sustainable intensification through IPPM / FFS activities

Via FFS, FAO trained 532 facilitators and 24 239 farmers in the four target countries on improved agricultural practices to boost cotton and vegetable yields sustainably, reduce production costs and protect natural resources. Efforts were made to strengthen farmers' marketing skills and to link them to markets. In addition, the project increased the technical capacity of extension workers and supported local partners in managing FFS trainings.

One to two years after the inception of the programme, surveys conducted on 573 producers in Benin and Burkina Faso showed that farmers had increased their use of compost in cotton and horticultural cropping systems by 342 and 481 percent respectively - a shift that will help improve soil fertility.

The success of IPPM activities has even attracted major cotton industry actors, including the Société de développement des fibres textiles du Sénégal (SODEFITEX) and the Compagnie malienne pour le développement du textile (CMDT). Both have co-financed with FAO to provide IPPM training for their own extension workers.

Partners

FAO worked closely with partners on this programme, including: Common Commodity Fund; CMDT; International Trade Centre; SODEFITEX; United Nations Conference on Trade and Development; World Bank; and others such as, regional farmer federations, producer and umbrella organizations, the private and public sectors, and interprofessional organizations.

This project is funded by the European Union and implemented by FAO.