This week, the trilateral cooperation project for the distribution and commerce of cotton by-products and associated crops in Africa was officially launched after a planning period. On May 21, the first meeting of the Project Management Committee took place, which agreed on the work plan of the initiative for the next 12 months. On the 25th, the project was presented to the ambassadors of the four countries participating in the cooperation initiative with Brazil and the Centre of Excellence: Benin, Mozambique, Kenya and Tanzania.
According to the plan approved by the Management Committee, prospecting missions to the four countries will be carried out by the end of 2018 for the preparation of the diagnoses. These diagnoses will be the basis for the preparation of country-specific projects, according to the identified demands and potentials.
The objective of the project is to support small cotton producers and public institutions in the four African countries in the disposal of cotton by-products, such as oil and cake, and consortium products such as corn, sorghum and beans. With this, the project is expected to contribute to the income generation of these producers and to their food and nutritional security. Activities will be carried out to train farmers, raise awareness and technical support to public institutions and regional exchange.
Ambassador João Almino, director of the Brazilian Cooperation Agency, said during the presentation of the project to the other ambassadors that the initiative “was born from the success that Brazilian cooperation has in the cotton area. The countries were chosen for their successful participation in other initiatives and for expressing interest in becoming more involved in this initiative. ” The ambassador also explained that other Brazilian public institutions, such as Embrapa, Conab and FNDE, could be involved in the project and offer technical exchange, according to the demands of the countries.
Daniel Balaban, director of the Centre of Excellence, stressed that “any cooperation project requires working together. We do not have all the answers, we will jointly build a unique solution for each country that takes into account the environmental, social and economic characteristics of each one. ” Balaban also stressed that the solutions developed in the partner countries will revert to benefits for the cotton chain in Brazil. “South-South cooperation is always two-way, while helping countries, we learn from them to improve our own practices.”
Kenya’s ambassador Isaac Ochieng said that “food security for job creation is one of the four pillars of the country’s government plan, and Brazil has been singled out as an example to be followed in these areas.” The ambassador also said that this project will improve health, education and nutrition and will have impacts in several other areas, such as infrastructure.
The project is being implemented by the Centre of Excellence against Hunger, with coordination of the Brazilian Agency for Cooperation and financial support from the Brazilian Cotton Institute.