Extensive efforts have been undertaken by the Central Asian republics, with the aid of private industry in the West and the World Bank, to stabilize their cotton-based economies following the breakup of the Soviet Union. Attention has been devoted first to the production aspect of the industry, because of cotton's major contribution to foreign exchange, but the focus has begun to expand to the development of acceptable cotton classification standards and trading practices commonly found internationally. The success of the endeavor will depend on the patience of the republics and the perseverance of western organizations.