Dr. Michael Otto, chairman of the Otto Group supervisory board, founded 'Cotton made in Africa' in 2005. As a public-private partnership, it brings together high-profile partners from the political, environmental and business sectors with the aim of building a demand alliance committed to buying cotton produced in Africa under socially and environmentally responsible conditions.
The project makes a difference across the entire value chain. While development efforts usually focus on the textiles manufacturing stage, 'Cotton made in Africa' seeks to improve the primary production of resources with a view to the future. Since long-term success is crucially dependent on demand, the Aid by Trade Foundation is building a demand alliance of trading companies that require their textiles suppliers to buy 'Cotton made in Africa'. Also, measures have been taken to ensure that African cotton remain identifiable in the value chain, which wasn't possible before the project began.
Cotton "made in Africa" has relatively long fibers, and is picked by hand - it is a high quality material. The social and environmental conditions of growing are improved, further increasing the attractiveness of this raw material, which is already of high quality. The project partners' know-how enables them to optimize management practices right from the start of growing, and in the first stages of processing.
Textile sellers in Germany and elsewhere benefit in that they get a high-value product which is still inexpensive, but which reflects high quality not only in the raw material itself, but also in the process chain. The Cotton made in Africa project takes business responsibility to a new dimension: accepting responsibility for people and the environment along the whole of the value chain, and responsibility for the future. This corporate commitment can have a wide-ranging effect, and is increasingly required by stakeholders. It is greatly appreciated by the customers, provided that the laws of the market are observed.
Cotton made in Africa is a very special cotton. It aims to help smallholders and their families in Africa to a better life while also promoting environmental protection. This promise to the trading companies and their customers must be honored and monitored. At the same time the project poses entirely new kinds of challenges. The hope is to integrate Cotton made in Africa smoothly into the added-value chains of large trading companies with their global buying markets, thousands of suppliers and constantly changing fashion trends. This is where organic or fair-trade cotton initiatives have often been forced to admit they do not fit into the buying practices of the large firms. The result are products with high added logistic costs at prices that price-conscious consumers are not willing to pay.