Michel Foklook
mimilook - #362

I am holder of a Master degree in agronomy majoring in breeding and of a PhD degree in agricultural economics. I have been working on cotton economics and cotton farming systmes since 1993. I am involved for more than ten years in projects to assess the impacts of biotech varieties in relation with the conditions of their use: Bt cotton in South Africa and in China, herbicide tolerant soybean in Brazil, and more recently Bt cotton in Burkina Faso. He has published papers in French, English, Chinese, Portuguese and Italian.

Forum Profile Wiki Profile
Country
France
Gender
Male

Main interests
Field of work
Farming system; Cotton sector coordination; Cotton policies; Biotech cotton use
Employer or Research organization
CIRAD
Countries familiar with
Mali, Burkina Faso, Benin, Mozambique, Cameroun, Cote d'Ivoire, Brazil, China

Website
http://www.cirad.fr
Linkedin
https://www.linkedin.com/in/michel-fok-42979216?trk=hp-identity-name
Researchgate
https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Michel_Fok
Academia
https://cirad.academia.edu/MichelFok
Cantool
http://www.cantool.net/search?keywords=michel+fok
Study of the impacts of Bt cotton use in Burkina Faso

Financial impacts for cotton growers and cotton companies. The study is over and has led to a paper published in French

URL
http://www.cantool.net/operation/607
Period
2015-16
Country or Region
Burkina Faso

Analysis of cash credit by cotton producers in Collines Region, Benin

Informal cash credit conditions revealed by a formal operation. Credit rate is very high and cotton growers seldom could escape from it in the studied region in 2011-12 Paper under submission to a journal

URL
http://www.cantool.net/operation/571
Period
2012 -
Country or Region
Central Benin

Feasibility study of GM cotton in Cote d'Ivoire

Expertise study implemented on request of a governmental body in Cote d'Ivoire. Expertise made to share all information needed for decision-taking by the cotton sector stakeholders in Cote d'Ivoire Report in French and supplied to the client, but I cannot share it.

URL
http://www.cantool.net/operation/572
Period
2014-2016
Country or Region
Cote d'Ivoire, Africa

Study of cotton farming in Cote d'Ivoire

Study requested in the framework of the program to relaunch cotton production in Cote d'Ivoire and funded by the European Union

URL
http://www.cantool.net/operation/573
Period
2014-16
Country or Region
Cote d'Ivoire, Africa

Women in cotton areas, improvement of their contribution to non-food value chains, from production to marketing

Women in cotton farms of Benin, Burkina Faso and Togo. Original works have been done on women's time use, economic production and assets. Several policy briefs have been edited. All stuffs are in French

URL
http://www.cantool.net/operation/574
Period
2014-2016
Country or Region
Benin, Burkina Faso, Togo

Agricultural activities of women in farms and their contribution to food security in cotton areas

Women and families in cotton farms in the north of Cote d'Ivoire. All stuffs are in French

URL
http://www.cantool.net/operation/575
Period
2013-2015
Country or Region
Cote d'Ivoire, Africa

Study of Chinese program to modernize and mechanize its agriculture

China acknowledges that the future of farming will depend on less farmers but better trained and managing larger and more mechanized farms. A communication has been made to the iCAC Plenary meeting in 2013

URL
http://www.cantool.net/operation/539
Period
2012-2013
Country or Region
China

Study of the evolution of insecticide use on cotton cropping in Togo with regard to health and environmental indicators

The study is based on the reconstituting the data set of insecticides used in Togo and on the toxical loads of the corresponding active ingredients. A time series of data has been obtained over 21 years till 2010. Update of the data is ongoing.

URL
http://www.cantool.net/operation/540
Period
2010-
Country or Region
Togo, Africa

Are women efficient in cotton growing?

More emphasis on assistance women in agriculture is based on the assumption that they can be as much efficient as men when they have similar access to production factors. The study is engaged to give ground to the retained assumption, by considering the particular case of China. A paper submitted to Feminist Economics has been accepted and should be published in 2016

URL
http://www.cantool.net/operation/542
Period
2006-2009
Country or Region
China

Study of the cotton sector in Syria

Description of the functioning of a cotton sector strongly state-administered, with the specificity of low recourse to insecticides.

URL
http://www.cantool.net/operation/424
Period
2008
Country or Region
Syria

Study of the dynamics of African cotton sectors by institutional approach

Analysis of the dynamics of cotton sectors through the evolution of instituional arrangements and the factors governing their effectiveness

URL
http://www.cantool.net/operation/425
Period
2000-2003
Country or Region
Benin, Burkina Faso, Cote d'Ivoire, Cameroon, Chad, Mali

Analyse of private systems of bylaws in cotton fibre transaction

particularly studied was the the system of Le Havre, endorsed by the french cotton association and which has evolved into an european system currently adopted by several countries like France, Polland and Belgium

URL
http://www.cantool.net/operation/420
Period
2003-2004
Country or Region
France, Africa

Study of cotton sector restructuration in Francophone Africa through the theory of networks

Analysis of the dynamics of cotton sectors by assimilating them to networks of services whose deregulation has led to valuable lessons

URL
http://www.cantool.net/operation/423
Period
2005-2011
Country or Region
Africa, Mali, Cote d'Ivoire, Burkina Faso, Cameroon

Transgenic cotton use and farmers' adaptation to the variety and seed market in northern China

Study of the use of transgenic cotton with Bt genes in hebei province, northern china, and appraisal of the farmers' adaptation to a fast growing seed market

URL
http://www.cantool.net/operation/350
Period
2005-2009
Country or Region
China

Study of the farmers' practicies in chemical control of transgnic cotton in northern China

Analysis of the frequency and dosages of chemical treatments implemented on transgenc cotton with Bt genes; verification of the insecticides actually used. A paper is under submission to a journal

URL
http://www.cantool.net/operation/353
Period
2010-
Country or Region
China

Study of the farmers' practices and profitability in using transgenic cotton in the yangze river valley in china

Implementation of a survey along cotton producers in jiangsu province so as to assess their practices in using cotton Bt varieties, most of which were hybrid ones

URL
http://www.cantool.net/operation/354
Period
2006-2009
Country or Region
China

Study of the profitability of transgenic cotton use in relation to the farming system of northern China

Assessment of the social and economic impacts of transgenic cotton use; transgenic varieties with integration of Bt genes; notably in Hebei province; appraisal of the impacts in relation with use conditions and producers' farming practices

URL
http://www.cantool.net/operation/342
Period
2003-2004
Country or Region
China

Farm differentiation n cotton areas of Burkina Faso

Farm differentiation, as well as that of the related villages, is studied through following a panel of farms in an interval of six years and through the assessment of the influencing factor of cotton growing

URL
http://www.cantool.net/operation/631
Period
Since 2012
Country or Region
Burkina Faso, West Africa

Cotton Value Chain analysis in Cameroon

Head of the team to implement the VCA4D method to appraise the social, economic and environmental aspects of cotton production from field to harbour or mills in Cameroon

URL
http://www.cantool.net/operation/639
Period
01/2019 to 10/2019
Country or Region
Cameroon

Farmers and market interaction in using biotech cotton varieties and seeds: A case in Northern China

This paper analyzes the extent to which farmers in Northern China actually benefit from market development for biotech varieties and seeds, and how they interact with this development. It firstly appraises similarities and discrepancies observed in this development in China and India, two countries having adopted biotech cotton at large scale. Then, it examined the data obtained in Hebei Province. The results showed tough and unsound competition with the market crowded by illegal varieties and showing paradoxically high prices of seeds. This competition is enhanced in return by growers' strategy to adapt to uncertainty when buying seeds. The future of commercial seeds and of using biotech varieties could be endangered. Competition without some control and regulation could be detrimental both to growers and players of the variety and seed sector.

URL
http://www.slire.net/document/2191?locale=en
Year of publication
2014
Authors
Guiyan WANG; Michel FOK

Cotton farming and farmers in Hebei province, Northern China

Communication to Cotton Beltwide conferences China is the leading cotton country in terms of production, consumption, and imports. Cotton production trends in China impact directly on its import needs and the world cotton market. The characteristics of Chinese cotton farming are a factor in cotton production trends but they remain insufficiently assessed. This paper helps to make up for the lack of analyses on cotton farming in China. It is based on data obtained through four years of surveys in Hebei province, Northern China, from 2006 to 2009. The results show that cotton farm holdings are quite tiny, less than one hectare. This farm size is not substantially increased for those who are able to rent land from families having in practice moved out of farming. The widespread involvement of farming family members in off-farm activities implies a degree of farming feminization. In return, the resulting income provides financial assistance for farming. Farm heads are, on average, in their early fifties, with a primary school education, slightly better than their wives. The size of their families appears to be less impacted by the one-child policy. Unmarried children, in their early twenties, are of significantly higher educational levels than their parents, particularly for girls. Thanks to this educational level, farmers' children are extensively involved in off-farm activities and are seldom engaged in farm activities, even occasionally. There are still youngsters getting into farming, but at a lower rate than the older people close to moving out. The lower educational level of these young farmers raises the question of whether they have embraced farming by default. Globally, cotton production is likely to result from fewer farmers in the future.

URL
http://www.slire.net/document/2192
Year of publication
2013
Authors
Michel Fok; Guiyan Wang; Weili Liang

Promoting a new generation of farming entrepreneurs. Overview of the Chinese case

About the Chinese to promote modern and efficient farmers

URL
http://www.slire.net/document/2193
Year of publication
2013
Authors
Michel Fok; Guiyan Wang; Weili Liang

The Application of GGE Biplot Analysis for Evaluating Test Locations and Mega-Environment Investigation of Cotton Regional Trials

In the process to the marketing of cultivars, identification of superior test locations within multi-environment variety trial schemes is of critical relevance. It is relevant to breeding organizations as well as to governmental organizations in charge of cultivar registration. Where competition among breeding companies exists, effective and fair multi-environment variety trials are of utmost importance to motivate investment in breeding. The objective of this study was to use genotype main effect plus genotype by environment interaction (GGE) biplot analysis to evaluate test locations in terms of discrimination ability, representativeness, and desirability, and to investigate the presence of multiple mega-environments in cotton production in the Yangtze River Valley, China. Four traits (cotton lint yield, fiber length, lint breaking tenacity, micronaire) and two composite selection indices were considered. It was found that the assumption of a single mega-environment in the Yangtze River valley for cotton production does not hold. The YaRV consists of three cotton mega-environments: a main one represented by 11 locations and two minor ones represented by two test locations each. This demands that the strategy of cotton variety registration or recommendation must be adjusted. GGE biplot analysis has also led to the identification of test location superior for cotton variety evaluation. Although test location desirable for selecting different traits varied greatly, Jinzhou was found to be desirable for selecting for all traits considered while Janyang was found to be desirable for none.

URL
http://www.slire.net/document/2195
Year of publication
2014
Authors
Xu Naiying, Fok Michel, Zhang Guowei, Li Jian and Zhou Zhiguo

COTTON SECTOR REFORMS IN CHAD: ON MOVE OR STUCKED? (in French)

Even though the primary sector in Chad is dominated by the crude oil exploitation (64.6% of the sector added value) agriculture with cotton remains important. In cotton growing areas, 80% of the farmers in Savannah zone grow cotton (338,500 farm holdings out of 423,000). About 2 millions peoples depend on cotton income. For several years, the cotton sector viability is at stake but the liberalization policy, as it is advocated by the World Bank is not yet materializing because of two major ..

URL
http://www.slire.net/document/1056
Year of publication
2008
Authors
K. DJONDANG, M. FOK, B. WAMPFLER et N. TORDINA

TOTTERING ASSOCIATIVE PROCESS IN CAMEROON: COLLATERAL DAMAGE OF THE COTTON POLICY ADJUSTMENT

In Cameroon, associative process based specifically on the supply of input on credit dates back to 1987, with the creation of “Associations Villageoises Autogérées” (AVA). The liberalisation option later on led to a shift from the AVA to Common Initiative Group (CIG). The global functioning in the supply of inputs to farmers was little changed thanks to the implementation of the “Programme Spécial d’Importation des Engrais” (PSIE) which enhanced timely provision of inputs at quantities and quali...

URL
http://www.slire.net/document/928
Year of publication
2008
Authors
Enam Jean, Klassou Célestin, Folefack Denis, Kouebou Christian and Fok Michel

Gone with transgenic cotton in the USA

The 2010 Beltwide Cotton Conferences provided a new vision of the consequences of about 15 years of widespread and uncoordinated cropping of transgenic cotton in the United States. Insect-resistant and/or herbicide-tolerant cotton varieties modified parasite complexes, namely those of insects and weeds damaging cotton crops. The Conferences have revealed that the adaptation solutions so far proposed make illusory the expectations at the launch of transgenic cotton, in terms of effective pest con...

URL
http://www.slire.net/document/527
Year of publication
2011
Authors
Michel Fok

State and market interaction: cotton variety and seed market development in China

China is ranking first in cotton production for more than 20 years. The adoption of GM cotton, since 1997, through the marketing of many varieties, has enabled it to maintain its rank by overcoming the pest resistance to insecticide. The varietal contribution has resulted from a radical change in the legal framework to enhance the variety and seed markets. Nevertheless, today, all cotton sector stakeholders do recognize that there is a big issue of excessive competition from a great number of varieties leading to variety and seed mixture. This situation has led the Chinese Government to decide on a new support policy called "quality seed subsidy policy". The Chinese policy in the areas of varieties and seeds hence is providing an interesting case of interaction between policy and market within less than twenty years. Our paper is a contribution to analyse the cotton variety and seed market development of the last twenty years by focussing on the interaction between State intervention and market. A change in the cotton policy, consisting of liberalizing the variety and seed markets, could prove to be quite successful where the capacities for breeding and investment exist prior to the policy change. This success nevertheless will remain a short term one if no regulation is provided to prevent the market development from excessive and unfair competition. The case analysed is a good llustration of the shortfalls of unregulated competition. It is however ineffective to regulate by imposing what farmers should use. Such a direct intervention in the market is showing undesired effects on the viability of seed companies.

URL
http://www.slire.net/document/56
Year of publication
2008
Authors
Michel Fok and Naiying Xu

Multiple-factor adoption of gm cotton in china: influence of conventional technology development and rural change in jiangsu province

The large diffusion of Genetically Modified Cotton (GMC) in China, namely Bt-Cotton, has been well evidenced but recent report on its reduced profitability raises the issue of long term adoption. This paper targets to point out that the adoption of Bt-Cotton in China has not depended only on its specific advantages in controlling pests. It focuses on the specific case of Jiangsu Province, along the Yangtze River Valley, for which the use of GMC is little reported in publications accessible to most scientists of the international community. The paper synthesizes the recent analyses published in Chinese from people involved either in research or in extension activities and it exploits the results of a survey implemented in 2005 as well as the data of the network of multi-location experiments of cotton varieties in the Yangtze River Valley. It comes out that in Jiangsu Province, the diffusion of GMC has benefited a lot from the modernization of the seed sector which has integrated Bt trait into hybrid cultivars which are perfectly adapted and profitable to the transplanting technique. In spite of a rather limited reduction in the cost of pest control, farmers should not abandon using Bt-Cotton, because the evolution of Chinese farming does not push cotton growers to be so much vigilant in optimizing their production costs, unless seed prices keeps on tremendously increasing. The continuation of a profitable use of GMC should require some move to better regulate the seed sector.

URL
http://www.slire.net/document/57
Year of publication
2007
Authors
Michel Fok and Naiying Xu

Gm cotton in china: innovation integration and seed market disintegration

The idea prevails that the specific advantages of Bt-cotton have permitted the successful diffusion of Genetically Modified Cotton in China. The efficiency of Bt-cotton however fluctuates between cotton production regions. In Jiangsu Province, along the Yangtze River Valley, there is not really yield increase, reduction in insecticide control is of limited extent and, globally, there is no income gain associated specifically to the use of Bt-cotton. The use of Bt-cotton is nevertheless almost general there. A more comprehensive approach, beyond focusing on the Bt-cotton specific effects, helps to explain this apparent paradox. In Jiangsu province, the diffusion of Bt-cotton has benefited from its integration into hybrid cultivars which are perfectly adapted to the profitable transplanting technique. This Chinese case indicates that the appraisal of Bt-cotton use in other countries should consider the extent to which this use would be compatible (or not) to existing production technologies. In China, the commercialization of Bt-cotton has induced the disintegration of the publicly-monitored seed market. Farmers firstly benefited from the process of seed market modernization but they now suffer from the excessive privately-oriented disintegration of the seed market. Adjustment of the public regulation is needed to help achieve a successful restructuring of the seed market.

URL
http://www.slire.net/document/58
Year of publication
2007
Authors
Michel Fok and Naiying Xu

Rôles de l'etat dans la construction et la restructuration des filières cotonnières en afrique : analyse par la théorie des réseaux

Les filières cotonnières ont induit un début de développement rural en Afrique Zone Franc jusqu'à la fin des années 1980. Leurs difficultés financières, liées en grande partie aux crises sur le marché mondial, ont poussé les agences d'aide internationale à recommander leur restructuration avec réduction du rôle de l'Etat. La référence, au moins implicite, au modèle de concurrence pure et parfaite est cependant inadéquate, il n'est donc pas étonnant que les restructurations engagées à ce jour ont donné au mieux des résultats mitigés. La théorie des réseaux de distribution de services s'appuie fondamentalement sur la concurrence imparfaite. Elle s'applique bien à l'analyse des filières cotonnières en Afrique et elle met en évidence l'efficacité économique d'associer la promotion d'une culture de rente avec la fourniture diversifiée de services d'appuis aux paysans. Les faits stylisés sur la dynamique des réseaux permettent de rappeler qu'il ne pourrait y avoir de développement cotonnier effectif sans l'intervention de l'Etat pour l'aider à atteindre une taille critique. La restructuration des filières cotonnières est assimilable à la déréglementation des grands réseaux de service. Comme telle, pour être efficace, elle doit préserver l'intégration verticale et être soumise à régulation.

URL
http://www.slire.net/document/59
Year of publication
2007
Authors
Michel Fok

Adjustments of national pricing mechanisms to face world price fluctuations: lessons from francophone african countries

The French colonial power committed itself in promoting cotton, well before its colonization was achieved. Promotion eventually succeeded only from 1952 onward, thanks to the set up of a pricing mechanism which integrated the needed adaptation to world price fluctuations. Since 1985, this mechanism was adjusted several times, along the collapses of the world price which came out more frequently with great magnitude. The adjustments did not lead to the expected results, although production kept on increasing, because the cotton sectors were close to bankruptcy several times. In most African francophone countries, the very conflicting relationship between stakeholders resulted directly or indirectly from the mechanism adjustments. This article analyses the errors and difficulties in adjusting pricing mechanism under the pressure, still very vivid, of world price fluctuations.

URL
http://www.slire.net/document/60
Year of publication
2006
Authors
Michel Fok

Globalisation, competition distortion and technology evolution: extent and limitations of the cotton success in francophone african countries

The positive outcomes of cotton production in Franc Zone Africa are particularly emphasized during the last three years, indicating a "success story" too much rare in Africa. This paper firstly elaborates on these outcomes, by distinguishing direct and indirect effects, related in one hand to cotton production stricto sensus, and in the other hand to development operations that the cotton success encouraged to implement in cotton zones. This paper provides a clarification of the influencing fact...

URL
http://www.slire.net/document/61
Year of publication
2006
Authors
Michel Fok

Liberalization and globalization: trojan horse for the cotton traders' domination in francophone africa

Liberalization and globalization: trojan horse for the cotton traders' domination in francophone africa

URL
http://www.slire.net/document/62
Year of publication
2006
Authors
Michel Fok

Integrate multinational companies in the regulation of world trade

It is possible that Doha Round will be concluded, in a few months in HongKong, without prospect favorable for the developing countries exporters of agricultural commodities, because the main trading actors of these commodities, with price fixing power, will not have been integrated in the process of international regulation. By setting the objectives to reduce the domestic supports and the export subsidies of the agricultural products, WTO considers, at least implicitly, that prices are only im...

URL
http://www.slire.net/document/63
Year of publication
2005
Authors
Michel Fok

Impacts du coton-Bt sur les bilans financiers des sociétés cotonnières et des paysans au Burkina Faso (Financial impacts of Bt-cotton on cotton companies and producers in Burkina Faso)

Paper in French with bilingual illustrations A first study indicating that not all cotton sector stakeholders gained in using Bt cotton. The huge losses for cotton companiesd led them eventually to abandoning that cotton

URL
http://www.slire.net/document/2356
Year of publication
2016
Authors
Michel Fok

Cotton farmers’ willingness to pay for pest management services in northern Benin

A study indicating that farmers might accept paying for extension services enabling them to be more efficient in controlling cotton pests

URL
http://www.slire.net/document/2357
Year of publication
2016
Authors
Cokou Patrice Kpade, Edouard Romeo Mensah, Michel Fok, Jupiter Ndjeunga

Are Women Less Capable in Managing Crops? Insights from Cotton Production in Northern China

A case study indicating that when women have equal access to production factors, they can perform as well as men

URL
http://www.slire.net/document/2377
Year of publication
2016
Authors
WANG Guiyan & FOK Michel

Managing pests after 15 years of Bt cotton: Farmers' practices, performance and opinions in northern China

In China, a substantial amount of literature addresses pest control in Bt cotton, which is genetically engineered to resist some target pests but which had no direct effects on many other pests. The impact of this technology was positive a few years after the commercial release, but this impact was subsequently found to have reversed. The reversal was made known to the international community about ten years after the commercial release of Bt cotton in China, as a consequence of a pest complex shift phenomenon. Nevertheless, all the existing literature seldom took farmers' practices in spraying chemicals into account; farmers' opinions about using Bt cotton were not reported, nor were their opinions of their performance in growing cotton. Our study compensates for this lack through a specific and holistic approach in appraising farmers' practices, performance and opinions 15 years after the commercial release of Bt cotton in northern China. It focused on the topic of pest control by combining a survey of farmers' characteristics and opinions about Bt cotton effectiveness and profitability, as well as on their cotton cropping characteristics, with participatory detailed record-keeping of insecticide spraying by farmers. It is a holistic approach as it took into account the farming context when analyzing the results. Our results indicated that farmers used chemicals somewhat intensively, carrying out 11 insecticide sprayings on average, involving an average of 2 pest target-oriented insecticide controls. The pest complex shift phenomenon was confirmed as farmers aimed 60% of target-oriented insecticide controls at sucking pests, principally aphids even more than Lygus bugs. Three quarters of farmers were not content with Bt cotton profitability while providing a shorter protection time and most of them displayed a lack of proficiency in implementing chemical pest control. The remaining quarter of contented farmers carried out more pest target-oriented insecticide controls. Four spraying strategy factors were found and were associated notably with farmers' attitudes in controlling bollworms, aphids and Lygus bugs. The observed strategies were connected with distinct farming efficiency in a country where farming has lost its attractiveness. Sustainable use of Bt cotton calls for locally adapted actions to improve farmers' proficiency in pest control.

URL
http://www.slire.net/document/2396
Year of publication
2017
Authors
WANG Guiyan & FOK Michel

Optimization of cotton variety registration criteria aided with a genotype-by-trait biplot analysis

China is one of the largest cotton producing countries in the world thanks to high yields, on which a variety registration system has mainly focused, so that a lack of quality is nowadays acknowledged as a weak point of the cotton industry in that country. The objective of this study was to check the hypothesis that bias in cultivar selection in favor of yield has been maintained through the application of an imperfect selection index (SI), but that a better outcome is possible. Our demonstration is based on an analysis of the data from ten years of cotton variety trials using genotype-by-trait biplots, implemented both for the cultivar selection index (SI) currently applied in China and for an adjusted selection index (ASI) that more effectively took into account the antagonism between yield and quality traits. The main findings were: 1) significant negative associations between yield and fiber quality hindered their simultaneous improvement; 2) registered genotypes were mainly determined by the SI which was primarily yield-oriented; 3) no progress in fiber quality was recorded unlike yield; 4) balanced progress in yield and quality is possible through an adjusted selection index (ASI) guided by genotypeby-trait biplot analysis.

URL
http://www.slire.net/document/2409
Year of publication
2017
Authors
Naiyin Xu, Michel Fok, Jian Li, Xiaoni Yang, Weikai Yan

Analyse de la chaîne de coton au Cameroun. Rapport pour l’Union Européenne, DG-DEVCO. Value Chain Analysis for Development Project (VCA4D CTR 2016/375-804)

Report of study on the cotton value chain through a method followed by a program at the EU Commission. The economic analysis allows to assess how value added has been distributed among players and how the cotton sector contributed to the macroeconomic metrics. Here is an abstract of the executive summary: The cotton value chain (VC) in Cameroon is taking on major economic importance in the country’s North province, the poorest region in the country. During the 2017-18 harvest studied, which achieved a production of 254,181 tonnes of seed cotton (305,000 t in 2018-19), it generated income for more than 30% of rural households, while providing food security through the grain crops grown in rotation with cotton. For more, click on the link

URL
http://www.slire.net/document/2647
Year of publication
2020
Authors
Michel FOK et a.

Addressing the challenges of sustainable cotton production under competition in China

Powerpoint presentation and extended summary at WCRC6 This speech provides firstly a quick overview of agriculture in China, and then it shares a brief analysis of cotton production under restructuring in a context where the strengthening of agriculture has gained momentum. The very recent measures targeted at strengthening agriculture are assessed through the prism of sustainability, namely the three pillars of social, environmental and economic aspects commonly acknowledged. The contemplated actions to enhance agriculture, with implications for cotton production, look like a set of challenges whose chances of being successfully overcome are appraised through a retrospective analysis of a few achievements related to former challenges. For more, click on the link

URL
http://www.slire.net/document/2627
Year of publication
2016
Authors
Michel FOK et al.

Evolution of Bt cotton production costs and effectiveness in Northern China over a decade

Powerpoint presentation and extended abstract at WCRC6 Transgenic cotton made resistant to target pest with Bt gene (Bt cotton) have been used for almost twenty years in a handful of countries to which belongs China. In 1997, Bt cotton has been commercially released in China, firstly in a limited number of Northern provinces and particularly in Hebei province. The use of Bt cotton has given rise mainly, if not exclusively, to short term assessment of its effectiveness and profitability in various countries and particularly in developing countries. In India and in China where most assessment studies were conducted, differences in production costs and profitability were appraised between Bt cotton and conventional cotton few years after the commercial release of Bt cotton and when both types of cotton were still in use. Most studies have provided evidence on Bt effectiveness and profitability, although their scientific rigor was seldom perfect. For more, click on the link

URL
http://www.slire.net/document/2628
Year of publication
2016
Authors
Michel FOK and Guiyan WANG

Women in cash crop farms in Burkina Faso (in French 'Femmes dans les exploitations à productions monétaires au Burkina Faso')

Policy brief about the situation of women in farms growing cash crops in cotton areas. In French

URL
http://www.slire.net/document/2630
Year of publication
2017
Authors
Michel FOK and Gaspard VOGNAN

Women's time use in farms growing cash crops in Burkina Faso (in French 'Occupation du temps des femmes dans les exploitations à productions monétaires au Burkina Faso')

Policy brief about how long women's day is

URL
http://www.slire.net/document/2631
Year of publication
2017
Authors
Michel FOK and Gaspard VOGNAN

Women in cash crop farms in Benin (in French 'Femmes dans les exploitations à productions monétaires au Benin')

Policy brief about women is farms growing cash crops in cotton areas of Benin

URL
http://www.slire.net/document/2632
Year of publication
2017
Authors
Michel FOK and Faridath ABOUDOU

Women's time use in farms growing cash crops in Benin (in French 'Occupation du temps des femmes dans les exploitations à productions monétaires au Benin')

Policy brief about how long women's days are

URL
http://www.slire.net/document/2633
Year of publication
2017
Authors
Michel FOK and Faridath ABOUDOU

Women in cash crop farms in Togo (in French 'Femmes dans les exploitations à productions monétaires au Togo')

Policy brief about women in farms growing cash crops in cotton areas in Togo

URL
http://www.slire.net/document/2634
Year of publication
2017
Authors
Michel FOK and Edi Kpogan

Women's time use in farms growing cash crops in Togo (in French 'Occupation du temps des femmes dans les exploitations à productions monétaires au Togo')

Policy brief about how long women's days are

URL
http://www.slire.net/document/2635
Year of publication
2017
Authors
Michel FOK and Edi Kpogan

Women in cash crop farms in Benin, Burkina Faso and Togo (in French 'Femmes dans les exploitations à productions monétaires au Benin, Burkina Faso et Togo')

Policy brief about women in farms growing cash crops in cotton areas in three countries

URL
http://www.slire.net/document/2636
Year of publication
2017
Authors
Michel FOK et al.

Women's time use in farms growing cash crops in Benin, Burkina Faso and Togo (in French 'Occupation du temps des femmes dans les exploitations à productions monétaires au Benin, Burkina Faso et Togo')

Policy brief about how long women's days are and differencies among three countries

URL
http://www.slire.net/document/2636
Year of publication
2017
Authors
Michel FOK et al.

Cotton production: Learning from and contributing to Climate Smart Agriculture

Presentation at the ICAC Plenary Meeting What is Climate Smart Agriculture? Which existing techniques in producing cotton could be regarded Climate Smart? From the perspective of Climate Smart Agriculture, which additional techniques could be considered so as to adapt to climate change and/or alleviate it?

URL
http://www.slire.net/document/2638
Year of publication
2014
Authors
Michel FOK

Twenty years of GM varieties use: Lessons learnt

Powerpoint presentation and extended abstract to the biannual meeting of the Mediterranean network of cotton scientists The use of Genetically modified varieties (GMV) dates back to 1997 and spreads to 26 countries out of which 18 are recording more than 50,000 ha and 11 more than one millions hectares. According to ISAAA (International Service for the Acquisition of Agri-biotech Applications), the sole source of stats related to the use of GM varieties, the total acreage covered has been increasing continuously over the period of twenty years, as well as the number of countries concerned. This quantitative evolution is claimed to be a clear indication of the global positive impacts of the use of GM varieties. This criterion is complemented by other claims related to the global decrease of the pesticides use, global production increase and economic gain and reduction of greenhouse gas emission. The positive impacts claimed at global level are encountered also at the individual level of a country such as Australia. The country specificity of high yield has been preserved. The savings in the insecticide use is claimed to be the most positive impact of GMV use. This savings resulting from GMV use is illustrated by the reduction of the amount of active ingredient per hectare, but the shift to new generation of insecticide ingredients which are effective at much lower dosage has contributed as well, if not more than the GMV use. There are nevertheless negative impacts which... For more, click on the link

URL
http://www.slire.net/document/2639
Year of publication
2018
Authors
Michel FOK

Assessment of farms in cotton areas of Cote d'Ivoire (n French 'MISSION D’OBSERVATION DES EXPLOITATIONS COTONNIERES EN CÔTE D’IVOIRE')

Study report based on a comprehensive survey of 1108 farms Study implmented on request of FIRCA in the framework of the project to relaunch cotton production funded by European Union

URL
http://www.slire.net/document/2642
Year of publication
2016
Authors
Michel FOK et al.

The Chinese policy challenge of making farming and cotton growing economically more attractive

Powerpoint presentation and extended abstract to the ICAC Plenary meeting For emerging countries, and for developing countries as well at a lesser extent, the economic transition is attracting farmers out of agriculture. Farming population is getting reduced, following the trend that developed countries has known and where farming populations represent a few per cents of total labour. Although farming populations in emerging and developing countries are still very far from the above figure, governments are showing concern to the threat of missing farmers. In China, this concern is translated into the political question of "who will farm tomorrow in China" for several years and a new policy has been recently set up on an experimental basis. To people involved in cotton business, China is... For more, click on the link

URL
http://www.slire.net/document/2643
Year of publication
2013
Authors
Michel FOK et al.

Feasibility study of GM cotton in Cote d'Ivoire (in French 'Etude de faisabilité du coton génétiquement modifié en Côte d’Ivoire')

Study report about the various aspects to assess the feasibility of adopting sustainably GM cotton

URL
http://www.slire.net/document/2644
Year of publication
2016
Authors
Michel FOK et al.

Typology for action of farms in cotton areas (in French 'Typologie pour action des exploitations en zones cotonnières')

Paper under review by a journal

URL
http://www.slire.net/document/2645
Year of publication
2020
Authors
KONE Siaka and Michel FOK

Bt cotton seed purity in Burkina Faso: Status and lessons learnt

Paper under press. A rare, if not the single article about the issue of seed purity after the use of Bt cotton

URL
http://www.slire.net/document/2621
Year of publication
2020
Authors
BOURGOU Larbouga et al.

Status, factors and limitations of cash crop diversification in cotton production areas of Burkina Faso

Paper under review by a journal

URL
http://www.slire.net/document/2622
Year of publication
2021
Authors
Michel FOK and Gaspard VOGNAN

Relational governance and value distribution of the cotton chain in Cameroon

Paper under review by a journal

URL
http://www.slire.net/document/2623
Year of publication
2021
Authors
Michel FOK

Diversity, germplasm information and exchange

Powerpoint presentation and extended abstract to the ICAC Plenary Meeting Genetic diversity, if exploited, helps to make great progress in the sustainability of growing cotton in a world evolving notably under climate change. This diversity is preserved in several collections managed by public organizations in a handful of countries. The exchange of genetic materials is however of low level. One reason is the lack of means and capabilities of breeding teams, notably in developing countries, to address and integrate genetic variability into breeding programs. There is rationale to move towards a regional/international program for variability creation so that national breeding programs could benefit and use to finalize locally-adapted new varieties. The main reason of the current lack of exchange nevertheless lies on the lack of more comprehensive information on existing genetic materials and on the sharing of this information. ICRA tries to launch an initiative to overcome this shortfall, but more organizations should join in and financial support is required to meet the ultimate objective.

URL
http://www.slire.net/document/2624
Year of publication
2019
Authors
Michel FOK

How to have new technologies working in Africa?

Powerpoint presentation and extended abstract to the ICAC Plenary Meeting Africa lags far behind in yield. Production techniques have little evolved in the opposite of many other production regions or countries. It is tempting to identify technologies that work elsewhere and think about inserting them in Africa to increase yields. The presentation describes some examples of these technologies. For each of the technologies identified by domain of impact on yield, the presentation analyses the constraints to its immediate adoption in terms of production equipment, labor requirement, inputs or means to acquire them, knowledge, organization but also mindset for change, this latter being partly linked to the economic, social or institutional environment of production. No technology working elsewhere could work immediately in Africa without specific constraints being overcome first. However, the varying extent of the difficulties in overcoming the constraints is a criterion for deciding on the program and the sequence of the technologies to be promoted.

URL
http://www.slire.net/document/2625
Year of publication
2018
Authors
Michel FOK

Cash credit and cotton growers indebtedness in Benin (in French 'Crédit de trésorerie et endettement des producteurs de coton : un cas au Centre-Bénin')

While the requirement for cash has been increasing along the need to pay labor external to family, the provision of cash credit is little taken into account in the management of cotton sectors in French speaking African countries. Our study is the first one to address the conditions and impacts of the informal provision of cash credit to cotton producers in that region. The study is based on the appraisal of a particular policy implemented in Benin, in 2012, to formally provide cash credit to cotton producers. It is focused on the center of Benin where the implementation of the policy has attracted informal operators to join in, hence revealing the conditions on how they operated. Thanks to the collaboration of 537 cotton producers involved in 15 cooperatives, our study showed that very few farmers have escaped from the intervention of informal players operating at interest rate that could exceed 200% per year. The amount to reimburse cash credit, whose various destined usages were not monitored, could reach if not exceed that for input credit, hence almost swallowing the monetary margin from cotton growing. The observed conditions of the cash credit by informal operators were capturing farmers into a trap of debt and poverty, to the benefit of hidden players and ignored by the cotton sector organization. The lack or the inaccuracy of formal provision of cash credit to cotton producers could mainly lead to pass the main benefit of cotton cultivation to players of informal and usury credit. The recourse to cash credit by cotton producers should be further analyzed and integrated into the organization and management of cotton sectors in African countries.

URL
http://www.slire.net/document/2612
Year of publication
2019
Authors
Benoit SOSSOU and Michel FOK

Women's empowerment in cotton growing, a case in Northern Benin

In Africa, a few studies indicate that women have managed to embark upon cash cropping to improve their financial status, but none has ever thoroughly addressed the case of cotton or considered the impacts beyond financial terms. As an illustration of the interrelated dimensions of resource, agency and achievements in women's empowerment, this article addresses the economic and social impacts for women growing cotton and explains them by analyzing the characteristics of these women, in relation to the characteristics of their husbands and of the other women, in the perspective of intra-household negotiations and social norms in men-women role sharing and in the specific context and recent history of cotton production in Benin. Our study found a noticeable share of 20% of farms where women and their husbands simultaneously earned cotton income and where women spent less time in the fields while enjoying better decision-making power. This new status of income generation and role sharing within households is a win-win situation. It benefitted from a change in social norms which required an extra-household chock, a period of cotton sector uncertainty in an exacerbated monetization context which weakened men's financial position and made them more open to women's contribution. As the context of monetization keeps on prevailing in all African countries, it should favor further women's empowerment.

URL
http://www.slire.net/document/2613
Year of publication
2018
Authors
Faridath ABOUDOU and Michel FOK

Hazards of cotton insecticide use in Togo over 1990-2010 period (in French 'Dangers potentiels de l'utilisation des insecticides dans la culture cotonnière au Togo de 1990 à 2010')

For many people, cotton remains associated to a crop which consumes the most harmful insecticides to human health and environment. This negative appreciation of cotton production is no longer valid according to an international study but cotton producing countries have seldom analyzed and informed about the evolution of insecticide use. This article compensates for the mentioned lack in the case of Togo. It deals with a study based on data reconstituted for cotton areas and insecticides distributed to producers in Togo, from 1990 to 2010. Data on insecticides pertained to amounts distributed and to their compositions of active ingredients, so that the amount of active ingredients per hectare could be computerized. Besides, referring to the above mentioned international study which had compiled the ecotoxicity indexes of all active ingredients from various sources, toxicological loads against various fauna components have been calculated to assess the hazards of the insecticide used. These loads were defined to enable capturing the evolution over time and to compare countries. In Togo, the amount of active ingredients per hectare has steadily decreased till one liter, at a level similar to Australia which has in addition adopted genetically modified varieties. The toxicological load, on human beings as well as on various fauna components, like bees or daphnia in rivers, has diminished although less steadily. This evolution has resulted from a limited chemical pest protection of cotton crop with less than six sprays over three decades and from the adoption of new generations of insecticidal molecules. In Togo, the use of insecticides in cotton cropping has evolved in a more friendly way to human health and environment protection. This evolution should be valid as well in all cotton producing countries in French speaking Africa where similar study is worth being implemented.

URL
http://www.slire.net/document/2614
Year of publication
2019
Authors
Kokou DJAGNI and Michel FOK

Diffentiated performance of Bt cotton use in Burkina Faso (in French 'Performance différenciée du coton Bt en début de diffusion : cas du Burkina Faso')

The economic benefit of transgenic crops for producers in developing countries remains a matter of concern and controversy. Only a few studies have taken into account differences between producers to understand the variable effects of transgenic crops, particularly in the case of Bt cotton incorporating Bacillus thuringiensis genes for resistance to certain cotton pests. Our assessment study deals with Burkina Faso where the large scale release of Bt cotton occurred in 2009 and suspended in 2016. It addresses the cultivation practices of producers in farms differentiated by their level of equipment for ox-drawn equipment, but only at the first year of adoption and recommendation for adapted insecticide protection. We found that Bt cotton increases yields, to a lesser extent than expected, but profitability increase was only observed in farms with several sets of ox-drawn equipment, which were the healthiest, but not for the others which represent about 58% of all farms. This is the result of producers' strategies, notably that of worst-off ones to reduce cash expenses in fertilizers and insecticide, which were further exacerbated by the high price of Bt cotton seeds. The case study points out that the early impacts of a new technology, by lack of experience in its use, depend on its price and on taking into account, or not, the behaviour of poorer producers.

URL
http://www.slire.net/document/2615
Year of publication
2019
Authors
Michel FOK and Gaspard VOGNAN

Restructuring of smallholders' farming and implications for research: Some insight from China

Powerpoint presentation and extended to the 8th meeting of the Asian Cotton Research and development network My presentation is about the implications for research when smallholders' farming is engaged into restructuring. I will give some illustration of the extent of variation of farm size and cotton area per farm in the world. Size could matter in the performance of cotton growing, but this could be truer within a country than between countries as it is the case in China. This is the rationale of the policy set in China towards a larger size farming that I will introduce briefly before outlining the implications for cotton research.

URL
http://www.slire.net/document/2616
Year of publication
2019
Authors
Michel FOK

Status and implications of seed purity seven years after Bt cotton use in Burkina Faso

Presentation to WCRC7. Seed purity is lost both for conventional and GM cotton Background Since the commercial release of Bt cotton the issue of seed purity in producers' fields has been little addressed and in an unbalanced way when it was. It is well documented that the loss of purity in conventional seeds has endangered the continuation of organic cotton production. However, studies are rare on the purity of Bt-cotton seeds despite its implications on the effectiveness and sustainability of their use. This communication compensates for the mentioned lack of literature by analyzing data collected in 2015 in Burkina Faso, namely results of ELISA tests on samples of seeds from 646 fields grown with conventional or Bt varieties. Results According to the conservative criteria retained to declare the presence of Bt gene (more than 10% and 90% of controlled seeds for conventional and Bt variety, respectively), seed purity was very questionable for both types of varieties. For the conventional variety, the presence of Bt gene was observed on 63.6 and 59.3% of samples for Cry1Ac and Cry2Ab, respectively. Only 29.3% of samples corresponded to pure conventional seeds while 52.2% were double Bt seeds. Conversely, for the Bt variety, the presence of Bt gene was observed on 59.6 and 53.6% of samples for Cry1Ac and Cry2Ab, respectively. Actually BG2 seeds with both Bt genes were found in 40.4% of samples against 27.2% of samples of actually conventional seeds while the remaining of 32.4% of samples corresponded to single Bt gene seeds. Two factors affected the severe lack of seed purity. As regard to conventional seeds, it clearly resulted from a phenomenon of contamination, indicative of a failure in adjusting the seed production scheme to the use of Bt-cotton. With regard to the Bt variety, the lack of purity of the original seeds provided to Burkina Faso accounted and should even be the major factor. The observed lack of seed purity is a threat to the initiative of organic cotton production, albeit a very minor production mode in the country. It also calls upon the effectiveness and furthermore the sustainability of Bt cotton to control target pests. Conclusion Our results show the extent of purity loss when no especial attention is paid to the preservation of seed purity. Pure conventional seeds could totally vanish while Bt seeds become a combination of seeds of various types encompassing or not the expected Bt genes. Any country willing to embark the use of Bt cotton, or to resume this use like Burkina Faso, must previously adjust its seed production scheme and enforce its operation. This is a condition to preserve pure seeds both to enable the launch or the continuation of identity-cotton production and to ensure a sustainable effectiveness of Bt-cotton.

URL
http://www.slire.net/document/2617
Year of publication
2020
Authors
BOURGOU Larbougou et al.

Women's wealth status and factors on cotton farms in West Africa

Communication to WCRC7 Background Gender mainstreaming in rural development has mainly led to appraise women's performance in agricultural production comparatively to men. Studies are rare in understanding the impact of women's agricultural role on their own economic plight, even in Africa where women often have the opportunity to carry out various economic activities and to produce for their own account in fields. Our study in 2014 compensate for the lack by analyzing the characteristics, economic activities, income and assets of women on cotton-growing farms in relation to the characteristics of their husbands who headed farms. It was conducted in three countries with distinct cotton production evolution: continuous and great increase in Burkina Faso, chaotic in unstable cotton sector in Benin and stagnating in Togo having been put aside for decades by the international community. Results The economic fate of heads men on cotton farms was somewhat related to the status of cotton production in the studied countries, but much less clearly when that of women's was considered. Men in Togo lagged behind but men in all countries had their wealth positively influenced by their number of wives. The economic situation of women was generally weak but it was better particularly with regard to animal assets in Benin. Several factors affected women's wealth, notably that of their husbands. Conclusion Tradition keeps on, through the status of polygamy, but the observed men-women synergy in wealth accumulation is a positive sign that should persist because of a context of increasing economic exchanges in rural areas. The mentioned synergy deserves to be integrated into the approaches to deal with gender and development issues.

URL
http://www.slire.net/document/2618
Year of publication
2020
Authors
Faridath ABOUDOU and Michel FOK

Cotton farming typology as a guide for actions in Cote d'Ivoire and beyond

Communcation to WCRC7 Background In West and Central Africa, cotton production is of socio-economic importance by involving millions of people in rural areas and bringing hard currencies to the related country. Such an outcome has resulted, partly, from the backstopping by national, bilateral and multilateral development funding organizations for decades. Information nevertheless lacks on the impacts of the procured aids, related or not to technology transfer, in terms of the socio-economic status of the cotton farms by lack of application of a device to assess and follow-up what these features are. The objective of this communication is to draw out a typology of cotton farms in Cote d'Ivoire to compensate for the mentioned lack in view of guiding actions and assessing their impacts. Results Through the data of a study implemented in 2014, a typology was based on the single criterion of cattle possession in relation with the tradition of hoarding. This typology clearly differentiates four types of farms according to their technical and financial performance in cotton growing, the characteristics of farmers and that of their families as well as their well-being through the possession of some durable goods. Conclusion The proposed typology is adapted, simple for application and flexible for evolution. It could fit all cotton-producing countries of West and Central Africa where the same tradition of accumulating capital in hoarding remains and it would allow country comparison to assess distinct cotton policies.

URL
http://www.slire.net/document/2619
Year of publication
2020
Authors
KONE Siaka and Michel FOK

Differentiated contribution of smallholders to the value of the cotton chain in Cameroon

Communication to WCRC7 Background In West and Central Africa, the economic and social importance of cotton production used to be claimed in terms of income distributed to farmers and its contribution to GDP, to the balance of payments and to the livelihood of rural populations in the corresponding production areas. The figures put forward were seldom updated. In addition, farmers benefiting from cotton were presented as a whole, regardless of their possible differentiation in terms of farm size and endowments. This paper focuses on results from the economic analysis of a study using the VCA4D method, a method promoted by a specific European program to deal with value chains considering their economic, social and environmental dimensions. The study was undertaken in 2019 in Cameroon, where a single cotton company (Sodecoton) operates in marketing and ginning seedcotton and crushing cotton seeds. Small- or industrial-scale fiber processing was taken into account. Results For the 2017-18 campaign, with seedcotton production of 254,181 tons by 152,612 cotton growers on 182,610 ha, the total added-value was CFA F 95.9 billion (€ 146 million) corresponding to 0.6% of GDP. The total generated income was CFA F 48.2 billion (€ 73.5 million). Out of the total added-value and income, growers accounted for 38.4% and 67.8%, respectively. The contributions of the cotton company to the two mentioned economic indicators were 39.3% and 17.6%. Its cotton fiber exports generated CFA F 106 billion (€ 161.5 million) amounting to 16.8% of all agricultural exports, i.e. 5% of the national balance of payments. After deduction of Value Chain imports, the net foreign currency return was CFA F 51 billion (€ 77 million). Through tax payments, the cotton value chain contributed CFA F 9.2 billion (€ 14.0 million) to the national budget, 68.0% of which came from the cotton company. In terms of employment, around 27,000 people in villages received remuneration from the management and marketing activities related to cotton production, while 3,200-3,500 people received salaries from the cotton company on a permanent or temporary basis. The contribution of cotton growers differed depending on the size of the cotton acreage on the farm. The four types of farms with a cotton acreage of less than one ha, 1-5 ha, 5-10 ha and more than 10 ha amounted to 70.1%, 24.8%, 4.0% and 1.1% of all farms, respectively. However, their respective shares in farmers' contributions to added-value were 29.1%, 35.6%, 23.8% and 11.5%. Most of the children of primary school age were found in the most numerous small "cotton farms" where cotton income should account more to help materialize the schooling purpose. Conclusion In a country where the very low level textile industry hampers value addition, smallholders producing cotton contribute substantially to the total added-value and extract an even larger share of the total income distributed. Economic contribution of larger cotton farms (over 5 ha of cotton) accounts much more than their share in farm numbers. The concern for economic performance bears the risk of excessive attention being paid to large farms at the expense of smaller ones for which the preservation, if not improvement, of cotton income matters furthermore for poverty alleviation in the context of a lack of alternative cash income.

URL
http://www.slire.net/document/2620
Year of publication
2020
Authors
Michel FOK