| In Bulletin 21, “The Good Policy”, I wrote: “I call upon all the media, from the North and from the South, from the greatest to the smallest (bulletins, daily papers, weeklies, radio, television…): let them organise a vast debate on this essential question for the future of our planet.” In the hope of facilitating this debate we have produced a film called: “African Cotton: the threat from the North” Produced by: Camille Sawadogo – length: 26 minutes Here is a summary of the film taken from the cover of the video, which is available at SEDELAN. In Burkina Faso, as in neighbouring countries of West Africa, cotton is the life blood of millions of farmers. But on the other side of the Atlantic the American producers, heavily subsidised, dump their cotton on the world market and force down the price. African cotton is threatened with disappearance. Burkinabe cotton farmers cry out in alarm. They do not want to fall back into misery. They condemn the dumping which reigns supreme in international trade of farming products, and they demand a fair trade based on two simple rules: · The prohibition of exports of farm products at a price lower than production costs · The right, and even the duty, of all countries (or unions of states) to protect their agriculture, knowing that the countries of the North will not abolish their farming subsidies. At this time when the future of millions of farmers is in play during the negotiations at the World Trade Organisation (WTO), this film aims to open the debate in the offices and air-conditioned halls of Geneva. We hope to present the film at FESPACO (Ouagadougou Pan African Festival of Cinema and television from the 22nd February to the 1st March 2003). We hope that it will interest some French television channels like TV5, CF1, Arte…, and maybe also channels such as A2 in France or RTBF in Belgium… We are looking for contacts who could produce an English language version and distribute it in the English-speaking world. Copies of the French version are available on video-cassette, VHS format, price: 10 000 F CFA in Burkina (pay by postal order or postal cheque CCP 9 363 at Ouagadougou, to the name of Dugulen). 15 000 F in West Africa (postage included - pay by postal order or postal cheque CCP 9 363 at Ouagadougou, to the name of Dugulen). 23 euros in Europe (+ 3 euros for postage) Supporting price 40 euros (postage included). Send cheque to: SEDELAN - B.P. 332 - Koudougou - Burkina Faso
Tel: (00226) 54 03 56 - E-mail:
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If we manage to recoup our production costs, we will continue with other films about international trade and rural issues (for example: trade in rice, food aid, the food supply for Ouagadougou, or even the sale of second hand clothes...) Maurice Oudet Koudougou, 10th February 2003. | 
