Case study:
Cotton Made in Africa Sustainable (CmiA) Certification: Ivory Coast
ECOM is a member of Cotton made in Africa (CmiA) and has made a commitment to promote the association in every way possible. CmiA is an initiative of the Aid by Trade Foundation (AbTF) that sustainably improves the social, economic and environmental living conditions of cotton farmers in Sub Saharan Africa by activating market forces.
CmiA makes it possible to introduce sustainable cotton to the mass market by developing an international alliance of textile companies that purchase the sustainable CmiA cotton. The income generated is re-invested to finance its undertakings in verification, training in sustainable cultivation and capacity building, for example, in the African project regions.
Experts train the cotton farmers in modern, efficient and environmentally friendly farming methods that help them improve the quality and yield of their cotton, thereby improving their income. The farmers are able to strengthen their resilience towards external effects like volatile cotton prices and increasingly adverse climatic conditions, while preserving their own health and the environment.
Cotton made in Africa creates a win-win situation for smallholder cotton farmers in Africa. The CmiA quality label gives the anonymous, mass-produced cotton a positive and recognizable “face” in international trade. To ensure the smooth use of sustainable, raw materials in the mass market, CmiA supports companies in the integration of CmiA cotton into their existing sourcing structures and cooperates with international traders like ECOM to assist partners in achieving their business sustainability goals without compromising on a value chain that is both pragmatic and optimized for cost and time.