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Revisiting the “Cotton Problem”—A Comparative Analysis of Cotton Reforms in Sub-Saharan Africa

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  • Delpeuch, Claire
  • Vandeplas, Anneleen

Abstract

The cotton sector has been among the most regulated in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA), and still largely is in West and Central Africa (WCA), despite repeated reform recommendations by international donors. On the other hand, orthodox reforms in East and Southern Africa (ESA) have not always yielded the expected results. This paper uses a stylized contracting model to investigate the link between market structure and equity and efficiency in SSA cotton sectors; explain the outcomes of reforms in ESA; and analyze the potential consequences of reforms in WCA. We illustrate our arguments with empirical observations on cotton sector performance.

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  • Delpeuch, Claire & Vandeplas, Anneleen, 2013. "Revisiting the “Cotton Problem”—A Comparative Analysis of Cotton Reforms in Sub-Saharan Africa," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 42(C), pages 209-221.
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:wdevel:v:42:y:2013:i:c:p:209-221
    DOI: 10.1016/j.worlddev.2012.06.020
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    Cited by:

    1. Didier Yélognissè Alia & Anne Floquet & Epiphane Adjovi, 2017. "Heterogeneous Welfare Effect of Cotton Pricing on Households in Benin," African Development Review, African Development Bank, vol. 29(2), pages 107-121, June.
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    4. Bassett, Thomas J., 2014. "Capturing the Margins: World Market Prices and Cotton Farmer Incomes in West Africa," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 59(C), pages 408-421.
    5. Delpeuch, Claire, 2011. "African cotton markets at crossroads : will the price spike turn into a new kick-start ?," Policy Research Working Paper Series 5847, The World Bank.
    6. Yankou Diasso, 2014. "Dynamique du prix international du coton : aléas, aversion au risque et chaos," Recherches économiques de Louvain, De Boeck Université, vol. 80(4), pages 53-86.
    7. Mizuno, Nobuhiro, 2016. "Political structure as a legacy of indirect colonial rule: Bargaining between national governments and rural elites in Africa," Journal of Comparative Economics, Elsevier, vol. 44(4), pages 1023-1039.
    8. Theriault, Veronique & Tschirley, David L., 2014. "How Institutions Mediate the Impact of Cash Cropping on Food Crop Intensification: An Application to Cotton in Sub-Saharan Africa," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 64(C), pages 298-310.

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    sub-Saharan Africa; cotton reforms; self-enforcing contracts;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • Q12 - Agricultural and Natural Resource Economics; Environmental and Ecological Economics - - Agriculture - - - Micro Analysis of Farm Firms, Farm Households, and Farm Input Markets
    • L33 - Industrial Organization - - Nonprofit Organizations and Public Enterprise - - - Comparison of Public and Private Enterprise and Nonprofit Institutions; Privatization; Contracting Out
    • O12 - Economic Development, Innovation, Technological Change, and Growth - - Economic Development - - - Microeconomic Analyses of Economic Development

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