• Linkdin

Ethiopian farmers to grow CmiA sustainable cotton

28 Mar '15
2 min read

More than 9,000 smallholder farmers in North-Western Ethiopia will now be supported by the Aid by Trade Foundation (AbTF) following successful verification in accordance with the Cotton made in Africa (CmiA) sustainability standard.
 
AbTF would cooperate with the Ethiopian Cotton Producers, Exporters and Ginners Association (ECPGEA), the foundation said in a media release.
 
With Ethiopia’s joining, CmiA’s sustainable cotton initiative now reaches over 5 million people in Africa.
 
“With the addition of Ethiopia, there are now round about 650,000 smallholder farmers growing cotton according to the CmiA sustainability standards. With their family members included, this totals over 5.5 million people in 10 countries in Sub-Saharan Africa,” said Christoph Kaut, managing director of AbTF.
 
“Our standard is specifically aimed at smallholder farmers in our project countries who only have a small plot of land and who are most in need of support. In order to protect the environment and vital resources, the exploitation of primary forests is forbidden, as is encroachment into established protected areas, the use of genetically modified seeds, and artificial irrigation,” Kaut added.
 
In 2014, more than 150,000 tonnes of cotton were produced in accordance with the CmiA standard in Africa. As a result of the latest successful verifications in Ethiopia, Uganda, Tanzania and Cameroon, the quantity of CmiA-verified cotton produced will rise again significantly in 2015.
 
Under its CmiA initiative, AbTF promotes aid by trade in order to improve the living conditions of cotton farmers and their families in Sub-Saharan Africa. The initiative offers cotton farmers training in modern, efficient and environmentally-friendly cultivation methods which allow them to improve the quality of their cotton, increase their crop yield and thereby generate better income. 
 
In addition to benefitting from agricultural and business training, the CmiA partnership also means that smallholder farmers can rely on fair contracts with cotton companies and reliable payment for their crops. 
 
To date, smallholder farmers from Uganda, Tanzania, Zambia, Zimbabwe, Mozambique, Malawi, Ghana, Cameroon, Ivory Coast and Ethiopia are partnering with CmiA. (RKS)
 

Fibre2fashion News Desk - India

Leave your Comments

Esteemed Clients

TÜYAP IHTISAS FUARLARI A.S.
Tradewind International Servicing
Thermore (Far East) Ltd.
The LYCRA Company Singapore  Pte. Ltd
Thai Trade Center
Thai Acrylic Fibre Company Limited
TEXVALLEY MARKET LIMITED
TESTEX AG, Swiss Textile Testing Institute
Telangana State Industrial Infrastructure Corporation Limited (TSllC Ltd)
Taiwan Textile Federation (TTF)
SUZHOU TUE HI-TECH NONWOVEN MACHINERY CO.,LTD
Stahl Holdings B.V.,
Advanced Search