Call for fair play in the cotton industry.

Six trade ministers of African countries dependent on cotton exports have called for fair play in the international trade of cotton and for rich countries to close the gap between pledges and delivery of aid to the African cotton sector while outstanding trade issues are worked out.

Trade ministers from three of the so-called African "Cotton Four" countries-Benin, Chad and Mali--attended the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) Secretary-General's Multistakeholder Meeting on Cotton in December. Also present were ministers from Cote d'Ivoire, Senegal and Zimbabwe. The Cotton Four nations, which also include Burkina Faso, depend on this agricultural commodity for 30% to 60% of their exports.

UNCTAD...