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Abstract
Mozambique’s cotton sector is very important to the economy and to poverty reduction in the
rural sector. Cotton production in Mozambique is characterized by low levels of
productivity, low prices and low returns. Cotton farmers in Mozambique are often no better
off than their neighbors who do not grow cotton. Not surprisingly, many cotton farmers have
switched to other crops such as sesame. But the Government of Mozambique and the
National Cotton Institute (INE) are committed to improving the profitability of the cotton
sector and encouraging new investments by international companies.
Looking at cotton production globally, the most important innovation in recent years has been
the introduction of transgenic Bt cotton. Bt cotton varieties have built-in resistance to
bollworm, a devastating insect pest. Cotton production in countries that have introduced Bt
varieties, like India, China and the United States, has soared. Yet no country in Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA), with the exception of South Africa, has yet introduced Bt cotton. Burkina Faso is at an advanced stage of testing.