Apparel retailer Engelbert adopts African cotton

Engelbert Strauss is supporting the Cotton made in Africa initiative and the expansion of sustainably produced cotton with its new “Art of Work” line. The colourful shirts with artistically interpreted, quality ostrich designs will be available at the company’s online shop, its catalogue and in company-owned workwearstores in late summer 2013.

The entire ten-piece collection, comprising t-shirts and long-sleeved shirts for men, women and children, bears the official wine-red Cotton made in Africa label. “Cotton, the all-natural raw material, enjoys great popularity, especially in the working world.

In Cotton made in Africa we have found a partner that offers this commodity with social and ecological added value,” says Henning Strauss, grandson of the company’s founder and co-owner.  CmiA promotes sustainable cotton farming in sub-Saharan Africa.

The initiative has created an alliance of international textile companies that buy and process the sustainably grown cotton cultivated by around 435,000 participating smallholder farmers for the world market. The cotton marketed by CmiA has a considerably smaller ecological footprint than conventional cotton.

Engelbert Strauss is a leading manufacturer of work clothes and work safety equipment. The company is the first in its branch to take a conscious step towards sustainability, thus expanding efforts on behalf of social issues on the African continent.

Cotton made in Africa

Cotton made in Africa (CmiA) is an initiative of the Aid by Trade Foundation (AbTF that helps people help themselves through trade, improving the living conditions of cotton farmers and their families in sub-Saharan Africa. Last year around 435,000 smallholder farmers from Benin, Zambia, Mozambique, Malawi and Côte d’Ivoire participated in CmiA.

Zimbabwe was the most recent project country to join the initiative in November 2012. In training seminars Cotton made in Africa teaches farmers modern, efficient and environmentally-friendly cultivation methods that help them improve the quality of their cotton, increase yield and so improve income.)

Cotton made in Africa