Cotton made in Africa® Cotton
Since 2017, we have supported the Cotton made in Africa® (CmiA) initiative. The initiative aims to protect the environment and improve the living conditions of around one million smallholder farmers and their families through trade rather than donations. Employees working in cotton ginning factories also benefit from improved working conditions.
As a CmiA partner, we help strengthen demand for cotton produced in accordance with the standard.
The licence fees we pay are invested in training programmes for cotton producers as well as social projects in cotton-growing regions. In this way, together with other companies, we support the network behind the Cotton made in Africa® initiative.
The CmiA standard focuses particularly on African smallholder farmers and on cotton ginning as the first stage of further processing. These stages of the supply chain are certified in accordance with the requirements of CmiA. The subsequent processing of the cotton is managed through a mass balance system.
This means that the volume of CmiA cotton we support is accounted for throughout the supply chain on a mass balance basis, while certified and non-certified cotton may be mixed during processing. As a result, it is not possible to physically verify whether the cotton contained in a finished product originates from CmiA-certified cultivation. However, the mass balance system ensures that an equivalent volume of CmiA cotton is introduced into the supply chain and that support for more sustainable cotton production is documented.
This principle is comparable to that of renewable electricity, where electricity from renewable and conventional sources is fed into the same grid.
Through our support of Cotton made in Africa®, we contribute to the promotion of alternative farming practices and to improving the economic and social prospects of cotton producers in Africa.
