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Mathias Knappe, Senior
Programme Manager,
ITC (Switzerland); Tanya
Aucamp, Communication
Specialist, Cotton SA
(South Africa); Kris
Terauds, Economic Joseph Kempen, CEO, Loskop Cotton
Affairs Officer, Gin (South Africa); Dr Lawrence
Commodities Branch, Owoeye, Senior Research Manager,
DITC/UNCTAD (Switzer IIC-ARC (South Africa); and
land); and Joseph Nkole, Kai Hughes, Executive Director,
CEO, Mumbwa Ginnery International Cotton Advisory
Limited (Zambia). Committee (USA).
Hennie Bruwer, CEO, Cotton SA.

by-products provide great possibilities parties involved. This openness is very
for obtaining a higher income with new powerful to grow the industry going
opportunities for cotton farmers. “As cotton forward”, says Yanchun Zhang, Chief,
is a high-input cost crop, every possible Commodities Branch, UNCTAD.
opportunity must be investigated to increase As the three-year programme is
the value of cotton at farm level. Through nearing the end, the question is, what is
value addition of cotton by-products such the way forward? Kris Terauds, Economic
as briquettes and pellets made from cotton Affairs Officer, UNCTAD replied: “There
stalks, hygienic cotton products such as are two ways that can be pursued. The
absorbent cotton, and utilising cottonseed first is to take commercial niches that
oil, new opportunities can be created that were developed in the countries, and
can contribute to the profitability of cotton accompany them as best we can in finding
and job creation at farm level”, says Hennie new partners, in finding the help needed
Bruwer, CEO of Cotton SA. to implement those initiatives. The second
During roundtable discussions, distin- is, we have now a joint initiative with two
guished experts reflected on the potential other trade institutions, both in Geneva,
for cotton by-products to contribute to sus- the WTO (World Trade Organization)
tainable development in African cotton- and the International Trade Commission
producing countries and identified what (ITC). Together we have been trying
is necessary to realise viable businesses to coordinate our technical assistance
and markets for cotton by-products. activities on cotton by-products. This new
High-level topics, such as challenges initiative will be able to take up some of
on national level, government policies, the ideas that have been developed to
knowledge and technology required for carry the project further.”
manufacturing cotton by-products, as well
as specific detailed proposals for projects For more information, please contact:
were discussed. Lessons learnt were also Cotton SA – Communication specialist:
shared among the “Cotton-4” (Zimbabwe, Tanya Aucamp at tanya.aucamp@gmail.com.
Uganda, Zambia and Mozambique). UNCTAD – Economic affairs officer:
“There was an openness between the Kris Terauds at kris.terauds@unctad.org

Volume 21 No 3 September 2019 | 19