Aid by Trade Foundation: Cotton Made in Africa Initiative

Cotton made in Africa (CmiA) is an initiative of the Aid by Trade Foundation that helps people help themselves through trade. The initiative aims at sustainably improving living conditions for African small holder farmers by creating an alliance of international textile firms who purchase and process sustainably produced cotton from African smallholder farmers for the world market. Cotton farmers also profit from the initiative's training and social projects. In 2012 around 435,000 smallholder farmers from Benin, Côte d’Ivoire, Malawi, Mozambique, Zambia and Zimbabwe participate in the programme. Since November 2012 the initiative also works in Zimbabwe. Last year around 20 million textiles made of Cotton made in Africa cotton entered the market, and the initiative anticipates around 24 million units this year. www.cottonmadeinafrica.org/presse

Social Accountability International (SAI) is the official US-based representative for Cotton Made in Africa, introducing this initiative to American companies and helping them to start using the initiative's socially responsible cotton.   Subscribe to Cotton made in Africa's newsletter   Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/cottonmadeinafrica