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

The running of cotton sectors in Francophone African countries had implied an inception of rural development till the end of the 1980s. Their financial difficulties, mainly connected to the breakout of the world market crisis, have pushed the international development agencies to recommend their reform through the reduction of the State role. This recommendation, at least implicitly, refers to the model of perfect competition which nevertheless is not accurate. It is hence not amazing that the outcomes observed are at best mitigated.The theory of networks, carried out in the framework of the deregulation of large firms of service distribution and based upon imperfect competitition, is applied to analyze the cotton sectors in Africa. This application points out the effectiveness of combining cash crop promotion along with the supply of diversified services to producers. The stylized facts about the dynamics of service networks remind that there could not be any actual cotton development without public support to reach critical size. Restructuring cotton sectors is similar to deregulation of large service distribution firms. As such, it must preserve vertical integration. Local monopolies which result should nevertheless be regulated.