CmiA’s supply chain partners rose 58% to a total of 217 spinning mills and fabric producers throughout 20 countries, including eight in Africa.

This now benefits over one million small-scale farmers in Africa who are growing cotton in accordance with CmiA’s sustainability criteria, it said.

Tina Stridde, managing director of Aid by Trade Foundation, said: “This growing demand is especially good news because it gives us more resources for our work in the field. Our principle of providing aid through trade is paying off.”

Around 630,000 tonnes of ginned cotton from Benin, Burkina Faso, Côte d’Ivoire, Cameroon, Mozambique, Nigeria, Zambia, Tanzania, Chad and Uganda were produced in accordance with Cotton made in Africa’s criteria in the past year. 

More than 20 African cotton companies are working with the CmiA initiative to conduct agricultural training for small-scale farmers. This enables the cotton growers to improve their harvests and farm in a more efficient and environmentally friendly way.