Few topics cause more acrimony and debate than the topic of agricultural subsidies, but a little controversy is not enough to keep the International Cotton Advisory Committee (ICAC) from issuing a report on the topic.

Released in time for the opening of ICAC’s 70th Plenary Meeting (Sept. 4-10) in Buenos Aires, Argentina, the report provides specifics on subsidies to the cotton industry, including direct support to production, border protection, crop insurance subsidies, minimum support price mechanisms and export subsidies.

The total value of those support programs is estimated at $1.3 billion in 2010/11, down from $3.2 billion in 2009/10 and $5.5 billion in 2008/09. Five countries provided subsidies in 2010/11, and the subsidies averaged 5 cents per pound, down from seven countries providing 11 cents per pound on average in 2009/10. More than that number of countries have created cotton production support programs, but because of high prices, the programs did not result in any actual spending in 2010/11.

The report, entitled “Production and Trade Policies Affecting the Cotton Industry,” is available to download for free on the ICAC Web site (please click here), or can be mailed in hard copy for $30. The report is also available to download for free in French and Spanish here.