The Cotton made in Africa (CmiA) has announced that it will join forces with African Cotton Foundation (ACF) to promote socially and ecologically sustainable cotton cultivation. This cooperation is planned to encompass support for training and other implementation measures conducted by cotton companies in Cotton made in Africa’s project countries.

These measures will be co-ordinated by the African Cotton Foundation and implemented by the cotton companies, which cultivate cotton in accordance with Cotton made in Africa’s standards and are subject to independent annual audits. They can now apply to the Aid by Trade Foundation — the parent organisation of CmiA — for co-financing for the implementation of specific activities, especially regarding innovative measures to protect the soil or to promote integrated farming.

As the primary standard for sustainable cotton in Africa, Cotton made in Africa supports more than one million small-scale farmers in ten countries. “Sharing agricultural knowledge with small-scale farmers through workshops and training is a key priority for Cotton made in Africa,” Tina Stridde, managing director of the Aid by Trade Foundation, said in a press release. “In the African Cotton Foundation, we were able to win a partner who has become firmly established in the African cotton sector by uniting and pooling the forces of many actors who are especially committed to sustainability. We are happy to be able to count on this partner’s competence and support with the implementation of our goals, allowing us to continue successfully improving the living conditions of hundreds of thousands of small-scale farmers and making cotton cultivation in Africa more socially and environmentally sustainable.”

“The goals of both organisations are perfectly complementary. ACF is working to develop a prosperous, modern, and sustainable cotton sector in Africa. Together, we want to ensure that cotton growing is profitable, the environment is protected, the communities grow stronger, and human rights are respected,” Belinda Edmonds, the managing director of the African Cotton Foundation, said.