The US government gives its cotton farmers billions of dollars in subsidies every year. In the past nine years it has handed out over $24 billion to just 3,500 farms.

This lowers the price of cotton on the world market - leaving millions of African cotton farmers unable to get a fair price and struggling to scrape a living.

The subsidies are illegal and unfair. The World Trade Organisation has twice ruled that certain US cotton subsidies contravene its rules. Brazil even earned the right to impose sanctions on the US - but the US bought its way out of trouble by agreeing to subsidise Brazilian cotton famers too!

Cotton supports the livelihoods of 15 million people in Africa and many farmers are dependent on cotton as their main source of income.

These farmers can produce cotton more efficiently and more cheaply than US cotton farmers. However, they are still unable to get a fair price for their crop - removing US subsidies could increase the price they get by 12 percent.

Traidcraft is calling on the US to end its illegal cotton subsidies - and we need your help!

Find out more about the fight for cotton justice from the links on the left. And for all the latest campaign actions, news and to sign up to be a Traidcraft campaigner, go to www.traidcraft.org.uk/campaign