Les politiques de stabilisation des prix du coton en Afrique de la Zone Franc sont-elles condamnées ?

Paradoxically, cotton price stabilization policies in Zone Franc Africa are questioned while their potential benefits seem more important today than at the time of their implementation. Producers face an increasing price volatility and the conditions of implementation of real insurance mechanisms for agricultural risks are not fulfilled in African countries. The econometric analysis of cotton price serie shows that they fluctuate along a deterministic trend with a break in 1994 and that the duration of cycles is approximately four years. So, there is no structural obstacle to the pursuit of price stabilization on a pluri annual basis which should improve producers welfare in particular for the poorest.