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CmiA publishes report on promoting cotton trade in Africa
19 Sep '14
3 min read
Cotton made in Africa (CmiA), an initiative of the Aid by Trade Foundation (AbTF) in Sub-Saharan Africa that helps people in cotton trade, has published its annual report of the year 2013, describing initiatives for promoting cotton production in rural areas of Africa. This is the first annual report published by CmiA.
According to the report, CmiA conducted training programs to teach cotton farmers in the rural areas about modern cultivation methods to grow better quality of cotton and earn more income.
In 2013, approximately 25 million units of cotton with the CmiA seals were placed on the market by the partners of the Demand Alliance. Income from the sale of the CmiA license to textile companies and fashion brands surpassed the one million euro mark in 2013 for the first time, according to the annual report of the CmiA, which has headquaters in Germany.
In addition to organic cotton and recycled fibers, an increase in the use of CmiA cotton also contributed to increase in cotton production. In collaboration with Competitive African Cotton Initiative (COMPACI), an organization that supports smallholder farmers all over Sub-Saharan Africa to increase the productivity of the cotton production, AbTF has signed an unlimited partnership agreement with Better Cotton Initiative (BCI), a non-profit organization helping global cotton production.
CmiA verified cotton can now be distributed as BCI cotton to purchasers of BCI and the agreement is intended to improve the availability of BCI cotton and to finance smallholder farmer qualification measures through BCI royalties paid to the AbTF, according to the report.
The AbTF transferred the rights to market its CmiA brand to the ATAKORA Fördergesellschaft GmbH. The GmbH distributes all surplus profits from the sale of licenses back to the foundation, the report says.
In compliance with the sustainability criteria by cotton farmers and companies, CmiA follows a verification process for cotton production, which reviews the value proposition of supporting small scale farmers and improving their living conditions. CmiA uses its own impact monitoring system for this verification process.
To further promote the processing of sustainably produced CmiA cotton in the African continent, the AbTF, COMPACI and the African Cotton Textile Industries Federation (ACTIF) signed an agreement to promote the development of cotton production and the textile industry in Sub-Saharan Africa.
According to the report, AbTF, in collaboration with corporate partners, cotton companies, non-governmental organizations, started community projects in the CmiA regions, which are funded by the local cotton companies and partners and public funding by the DEG and the Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development of Germany.
Additionally, CmiA helped small cotton producers get loans via cotton companies or cooperative banks in rural areas, the report says. (GK)
According to the report, CmiA conducted training programs to teach cotton farmers in the rural areas about modern cultivation methods to grow better quality of cotton and earn more income.
In 2013, approximately 25 million units of cotton with the CmiA seals were placed on the market by the partners of the Demand Alliance. Income from the sale of the CmiA license to textile companies and fashion brands surpassed the one million euro mark in 2013 for the first time, according to the annual report of the CmiA, which has headquaters in Germany.
In addition to organic cotton and recycled fibers, an increase in the use of CmiA cotton also contributed to increase in cotton production. In collaboration with Competitive African Cotton Initiative (COMPACI), an organization that supports smallholder farmers all over Sub-Saharan Africa to increase the productivity of the cotton production, AbTF has signed an unlimited partnership agreement with Better Cotton Initiative (BCI), a non-profit organization helping global cotton production.
CmiA verified cotton can now be distributed as BCI cotton to purchasers of BCI and the agreement is intended to improve the availability of BCI cotton and to finance smallholder farmer qualification measures through BCI royalties paid to the AbTF, according to the report.
The AbTF transferred the rights to market its CmiA brand to the ATAKORA Fördergesellschaft GmbH. The GmbH distributes all surplus profits from the sale of licenses back to the foundation, the report says.
In compliance with the sustainability criteria by cotton farmers and companies, CmiA follows a verification process for cotton production, which reviews the value proposition of supporting small scale farmers and improving their living conditions. CmiA uses its own impact monitoring system for this verification process.
To further promote the processing of sustainably produced CmiA cotton in the African continent, the AbTF, COMPACI and the African Cotton Textile Industries Federation (ACTIF) signed an agreement to promote the development of cotton production and the textile industry in Sub-Saharan Africa.
According to the report, AbTF, in collaboration with corporate partners, cotton companies, non-governmental organizations, started community projects in the CmiA regions, which are funded by the local cotton companies and partners and public funding by the DEG and the Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development of Germany.
Additionally, CmiA helped small cotton producers get loans via cotton companies or cooperative banks in rural areas, the report says. (GK)
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