For many people around the world, cotton is a safety net. As a crop resistant to climatic changes, it can be planted in dry and arid zones and represents a real economic lifeline in rural areas where there are high levels of poverty.

However, in the last 20 years, many South American countries that rely heavily on cotton have suffered a decrease in production, affecting the income of thousands of farming families. An initiative led by FAO, the Brazilian Cooperation Agency and other local partners hopes to counter this by working with farmers across seven countries in South America. The initiative encourages collaboration and the sharing of innovative farming methods. One exciting innovation is the development of the first prototype of a one-line cotton-harvesting machine for small areas. This allows smallholder farmers to switch from manual to machine farming, increasing their capacity, speeding up harvesting time and reducing costs. Through this cooperation, farmers across all participating countries reap the benefits of a more sustainable and profitable cotton sector.

This example is what South-South and Triangular Cooperation (SSTC) is all about: sharing lessons across countries with similar challenges, learning what works for development and empowering each other in the process.