Social Enterprise - One Cotton Picking Minute
As part of its social enterprise commitment C&A, the fashion brand, has created a social media campaign for Christmasit is giving its Facebook fans and users the power to decide how to distribute $500,000 to three not-for-profit organisations. The three charities being supported are "Terre des Hommes," "Mercy Corps" and "Cotton made in Africa". Since this October C&A has been part of the Cotton made in Africa's (CmiA) international project, "Demand Alliance." Next year C&A plans to take up to 1,000 tonnes of sustainably produced African cotton for its textile products.
C&A Europe will support these three named organisations between 1 December 2011 and early January 2012 where they can earn up to $500,000. However, the fashion company will not decide the amount each organisation will get. Instead, they are letting their Facebook users and fans of country-specific C&A Facebook pages across Europe make that call! This social enterprise campaign aims to raise awareness of the three charitable projects through the power of social media networks. It is part of a much wider annual donation campaign that C&A Europe invests heavily in on a European, national and local level.
CimA is the first initiative by the Aid by Trade Foundation. The Foundation was started in 2005 and is an independent organisation which supports African smallholder cotton farmers. It helps these farmers trade, safeguarding the conservation of natural resources and the viability of future generations in Africa.
