Founded on September 19, 2002 in Cotonou, Benin, the African Cotton Association (ACA) was born in a context of unprecedented crisis for the African cotton sector. In 2001-2002, world cotton prices had reached their lowest level in 30 years, falling to only 28.5 cents per pound in October 2001. This crisis was largely attributed to massive subsidies granted by developed countries, notably the United States which paid $2.3 billion in subsidies to their cotton producers in 2001/2002.

Faced with this critical situation, African cotton professionals met in Cotonou in June 2001, then in Abidjan in June 2002, to create an organization capable of defending their interests collectively. The founding countries mainly included cotton-producing nations from West and Central Africa, notably Benin, Burkina Faso, Chad, Mali (forming the “Cotton-4” group), as well as Senegal, Côte d’Ivoire and Cameroon.

ACA operates with a governance structure comprising a Management Committee and an annual General Assembly that regularly brings together more than 200 delegates from Africa, Europe, Asia and the Americas. The organization relies on five specialized technical committees: agricultural production, ginning and energy, transport and logistics, classification and methodology, and marketing.

“Contributing to the equitable and sustainable development of African cotton by serving as a framework for exchanges and dialogue between cotton professionals, and making ACA the champion of African cotton defense.”

In May 2023, during the 19th annual meeting in Accra, Ghana, ACA experienced a major organizational renaissance. Ibrahim Malloum, Secretary General for Trade at Cotontchad SN, was elected president with the mission to make ACA “the champion of African cotton defense”. This restructuring included the adoption of new statutes, the relocation of headquarters from Cotonou to Ouagadougou in Burkina Faso, and the creation of an Executive Secretary position.

ACA’s achievements are considerable. The organization played a crucial role in international advocacy against unfair subsidies, actively supporting the “Cotton-4” initiative at the WTO. This campaign led to the Nairobi Ministerial Decision on cotton in 2015, officially recognizing trade distortions caused by subsidies. Technically, ACA has developed unified African standards for cotton, producing 250 standard boxes of cotton quality in 2024.

The impact of capacity building is substantial. Through partnerships with FAO, CIRAD and other international organizations, ACA has facilitated the training of 4,291 cotton producers in full-season programs, supported 153 technical facilitators and trained 127 new trainers. Today, ACA represents producing countries from four regions of Africa and defends the interests of 16 million people directly employed in the cotton sector. With an African cotton market valued at $6.05 billion in 2024 and a growth projection to $8.08 billion by 2030, the organization plays a crucial role in the continent’s economic development.