Cotton Made in Africa Works With Smallholder Farmers in Zimbabwe
Cotton initiative expands activities in Southeast Africa
On the ground CmiA is working with the Cargill cotton company and the German Investment and Development Society (DEG). The Initiative estimates that the Zimbabwean famers will harvest around 18,700 tonnes of ginned cotton from their on average 1.9 hectare fields in the 2012/13 season. Christoph Kaut, responsible for development policy at the Aid by Trade Foundation, the umbrella organization for CmiA: “On the whole around 200,000 people – smallholder farmers and their families – will profit from this collaboration in Zimbabwe.”
Agriculture accounts for 19.1 percent of gross domestic product in Zimbabwe. Cotton production is grown almost exclusively by smallholder farmers and, after tobacco, is the second largest cash crop in the country.
In training seminars, the smallholder famers who work with Cotton made in Africa learn sustainable and efficient methods for cultivating their fields, thus increasing both yield and income. CmiA has built up an international demand alliance to facilitate cotton sales and provide the famers access to the global market. Partner firms such as Puma, Tchibo, C&A and REWE purchase the sustainably grown cotton and process it further.
