Cotton is central to livelihoods in LDCs yet value capture remains low. Examine how South-South cooperation can help cotton-producing countries move up the value chain, with reference to India–Africa partnerships.

The UN made 7 October World Cotton Day through UNGA resolution 75/318. The day stresses cotton's role in reducing poverty in LDCs. At the 2026 India–Mali event at the UN, the theme was "Livelihoods, Value Addition and Partnership" [1]. This shows that many African countries grow cotton but sell it raw, so others capture most of its value. South-South cooperation can help close this gap.

Why value capture remains low

• Little processing capacity, high input costs and weak market access: Mali's Ambassador named these as Mali's main problems [1].
• Trade-distorting support: big producers subsidise their own farmers, which pushes world prices down. The WTO Nairobi decision (2015) banned cotton export subsidies but set no cuts for domestic support [3].

How India–Africa cooperation helps

• Technology and skills: Phase 1 of India's Cotton TAP (2012–18) trained about 2,000 African stakeholders. It set up a model ginning unit in Benin, apparel skill centres in Nigeria and Malawi, and a bio-pesticide lab in Uganda. Phase 2 (2019) widened it to 11 countries, including all C-4 members [2].
• Integrated value-chain model: India's 7 PM MITRA parks put the whole chain from spinning to garments in one place [4]. Africa could copy this design.
• Branding and traceability: Kasturi Cotton Bharat uses certification and QR/blockchain tracing [5]. This shows how raw cotton can earn premium prices.
• Market access: the Nairobi decision invites developing countries that are able to do so to give LDC cotton duty-free, quota-free access [3].
• Craft and women's livelihoods: crafts such as Kantha show how much value artisans can add [1].

Limitations

• No published review shows Cotton TAP's results. Mali's 2026 problems still match the gaps the programme was meant to fix [1][2].
• India's own cotton yields are falling, partly because pink bollworm now resists Bt cotton [6]. This weakens India's claim to be a model.
• India pays MSP-style support to its own farmers, so its WTO position differs from the C-4's.

Way forward

• Start a Cotton TAP Phase 3 with yield and processing targets for each country, and publish the results.
• Train African processors in PM MITRA parks and Kasturi certification.
• State India's duty-free access offer clearly.

South-South cooperation can turn cotton from a raw export into a source of jobs and value. For that, India's offer needs to go beyond announcements to measurable results. Linking technology, processing and market access would advance SDG 1, 8 and 17 and make India–Africa ties a real development partnership.