Cotton production in Mali is analyzed to emphasize that globalization could be considered as the culmination of a process towards the liberalization of the economy of the cotton sector that was implemented during the last two decades. Some distance has become possible to observe farmers' reaction to this process through the examination of their cultivation practices. In spite of some diversity in their reaction, it is noted that neither cotton production, related incomes for farmers nor food security were negatively affected, at least in the short run. These outcome are actually achieved at the expense of maintaining production capacities in the mid-run. Correcting this undesirable effect would require carrying out new cultivation techniques with more robust economic efficiency towards hazards of various orders, as well as institutional innovations that would facilitate their sustainable adoption by farmers.