Peruvian project with the FAO to rescue cotton

The article highlights the ongoing crisis in Peruvian cotton cultivation, with the agricultural area dedicated to cotton at its lowest point in decades, having fallen from 170,785 hectares in the late 1980s to just 14,000 hectares today. This decline is attributed to various factors, including changes in the economic model, free trade agreements, institutional support withdrawal, lack of innovation, and the impact of the trade war and the COVID-19 pandemic. Despite these challenges, the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), the Brazilian Cooperation, and the Ministry of Agrarian Development and Irrigation (MIDAGRI) remain optimistic, citing the profitability of cotton and the potential for its cultivation to be expanded, especially in replacing rice cultivation in Piura and Lambayeque regions. They plan to boost cotton cultivation through the More Cotton Project, emphasizing the importance of technical assistance and the correct technological approach to improve profitability and sustainability.