Interviews
Fairtrade gets GIZ funds to protect Indian cotton farmers
12 Oct '20
2 min read
Pic: Shutterstock
UK-based charitable organisation Fairtrade Foundation recently received €80,000 from Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ), the German development agency, to provide food and income security for 2,150 smallholder cotton farmers battling the impact of COVID-19 in India’s Gujarat, Tamil Nadu and Madhya Pradesh states.
The grant will also tackle both the immediate and mid-term crisis and protect the farmers in global apparel supply chains so that businesses can resume trading when the sector recovers, according to a Fairtrade press release.
GIZ’s Rossitza Krueger, project manager of the Global Programme Sustainability and Value Added in Agricultural Supply Chains (Cotton) in India, said: “Farmers who need assistance the most during this time of global crisis are able to sustain their farms and their family’s food security through this programme, delivered by Fairtrade. This will secure market access for the sustainable cotton under Fairtrade Standards whilst strengthening the entire global apparel supply chains.”
Fairtrade will distribute subsidised cotton seeds free of genetically-modified organisms (GMO) and organic fertiliser to cotton farmers for the current season. Due to the decline in demand for cotton, farmers will also receive seeds to plant vegetables and grains on their land so they can feed their families and generate extra income at local markets.
Bio gas plants will also be installed in some regions to provide both energy for cooking and fertiliser for farms. The International Cotton Advisory Committee has forecast that cotton consumption will drop by about 12 per cent due to the impact of the pandemic. Global cotton prices are predicted to fall by 22 per cent this year, according to the United Nations Conference of Trade and Development.
The grant will also tackle both the immediate and mid-term crisis and protect the farmers in global apparel supply chains so that businesses can resume trading when the sector recovers, according to a Fairtrade press release.
GIZ’s Rossitza Krueger, project manager of the Global Programme Sustainability and Value Added in Agricultural Supply Chains (Cotton) in India, said: “Farmers who need assistance the most during this time of global crisis are able to sustain their farms and their family’s food security through this programme, delivered by Fairtrade. This will secure market access for the sustainable cotton under Fairtrade Standards whilst strengthening the entire global apparel supply chains.”
Fairtrade will distribute subsidised cotton seeds free of genetically-modified organisms (GMO) and organic fertiliser to cotton farmers for the current season. Due to the decline in demand for cotton, farmers will also receive seeds to plant vegetables and grains on their land so they can feed their families and generate extra income at local markets.
Bio gas plants will also be installed in some regions to provide both energy for cooking and fertiliser for farms. The International Cotton Advisory Committee has forecast that cotton consumption will drop by about 12 per cent due to the impact of the pandemic. Global cotton prices are predicted to fall by 22 per cent this year, according to the United Nations Conference of Trade and Development.
Fibre2Fashion News Desk (DS)
Popular News
Leave your Comments
Editor’s Pick
Christian Guinet
French Textile Equipment Manufacturers’ Association (UCMTF)
Esteemed Clients
-Ltd..jpg?tr=w-120,h-60,c-at_max,cm-pad_resize,bg-ffffff "Thermore (Far East) Ltd.")
.jpg?tr=w-120,h-60,c-at_max,cm-pad_resize,bg-ffffff "Telangana State Industrial Infrastructure Corporation Limited (TSllC Ltd)")
.jpg?tr=w-120,h-60,c-at_max,cm-pad_resize,bg-ffffff "Taiwan Textile Federation (TTF)")
