Cotton from Cotton made in Africa is produced by smallholder farmers in Sub-Saharan Africa in accordance with CmiA standard criteria. This will, in turn, increase the sale of more sustainable African cotton on the world market, consequently improving economic and environmental sustainability of smallholder farmers on the continent. Interestingly, the clothing and fabrics found in the ancient tombs of Egypt were always flax fibre and never from cotton. 5 outlines cotton imports into South Africa for the past ten market-ing seasons. The major challenge with cotton farming is that the farming process is highly capital and labor intensive. Cotton is one of the most important cash crops on the continent. The aim is also to provide textile companies and traders with increased access to more sustainable cotton. Quality has traditionally been seen as high throughout the continent, largely thanks to hand picking. Heavy pesticide use has had serious health and environmental consequences. Some of the main crops grown in Africa include cereals and grains, such as corn, wheat and rice, and legumes and fodder, such as beans, groundnut and cowpea. East Africa - Crop Production Maps. Although world cotton production is dominated by China, India and the US, cotton is vital for the survival of many low income countries in Central and West Asia and Africa – it accounts, in value terms, for 26.4 per cent of Benin’s exports and 58.7 per cent of Burkina Faso’s. Better Cotton is grown in the subtropical highlands of the Loskop area, at the West of the KwaZulu-Natal province. US bans cotton, tomato imports from China’s Xinjiang Order directs US ports to detain cotton, tomato products grown, produced by entities operating in … AbTF was founded in 2005 by Dr. Michael Otto, the Hamburg business entrepreneur and Chairman of Otto Group.Cotton marketed under the badge is produced according to strict criteria for environmental, economic and social sustainability. In South Africa cotton was planted in the Western Cape as early as 1690. To learn more about cookies and opt-out options, please refer to our Cookie and Data Privacy Policy. Cotton is grown by smallholder farmers and large commercial farms in Ethiopia’s southern Rift Valley. These farmers tend to have a limited access to inputs such as water and pesticides and achieve low yields. Since 2005, CmiA has been committed to protecting the environment while improving working and living conditions for smallholder farmers and ginnery workers. In the Indus River Valley in Pakistan, cotton was being grown, spun and woven into cloth 3,000 years BC. Cotton pant is a shrub and native of tropical and subtropical regions of the world, including Africa, Egypt, America, and India. At about the same time, natives of Egypt’s Nile valley were making and wearing cotton clothing. Africa. Cotton is now grown in five main regions; Kwa-Zulu Natal, Limpopo, Mpumalanga, Northern Cape and North-West Provinces. How Does Cotton Fabric Impact the Environment? Cotton is a natural fibre grown on a plant related to the commonly-found garden species hibiscus. Ultimately, the aim of the partnership is to improve the livelihoods of hundreds of thousands of smallholder farmers in Sub-Saharan Africa. Cotton may have been grown in the Xinjiang (China) province cities of Turfan and Khotan by the 8th century CE. This gives increased flexibility to farmers whilst avoiding additional costs. The greatest diversity of cotton species is found in Africa… To be considered “Supima,” Pima cotton can only be grown in the United States with organic cultivation practices. Most cotton grown in Africa is grown by smallholders (farmers farming on less than twenty hectares of land). Cotton has been a major cash crop in Africa, mainly in Nigeria, the areas cotton is grown in Nigeria is concentrated in the Savannah belts of the country which is the Northern & South Western Nigeria such … Multiple African Countries: Cotton made in Africa (CmiA), Task Force on Forced Labour and Decent Work. Cotton production in Burkina Faso is continuing its downward slide three years after the nation phased out the use of pest-resistant genetically modified (GM) cotton. This statistic shows the world's leading cotton producing countries in crop year 2019. Multiple African Countries: Cotton made in Africa (CmiA) The African continent represents 5% of global cotton production and more than 9% of the worlds cotton exports. Naturally occurring wild cotton types in Africa are found mostly in Sudan, but these could have been brought to the continent by Arab traders. Where is cotton grown in the world? Usually, the major share of the capital goes into acquiring the land. Find out more about the success, challenges and key changes that happened in the 2018-19 cotton season in the Better Cotton Country Snapshots. Growing Season: 2011-12 Countries: Benin, Burkina Faso, Mali, Senegal, Tanzania, Uganda General Staple Lengths: Short, Medium & Long No. However, before you acquire the land, you’ll need to … of Producer Groups: 9 No. However, cotton farming became more challenging for smallholder farmers, who lacked access to necessary government funding and support to grow cotton crops. Textile companies can now procure cotton produced from CmiA verified cotton companies – click here to see the updated list of verified companies. You give us your permission to do so by continuing to use our website. Most cotton grown in Africa is grown by smallholders (farmers farming on less than twenty hectares of land). Although cotton production in Africa is not significant on a global scale, a large number of African countries remain heavily dependent on cotton. Cottonseed is crucial in the vegetable oil and animal feed industries. To learn more about cookies and opt-out options, please refer to our Cookie and Data Privacy Policy. In the 2018-19 cotton season, large farms improved their approach to precision agriculture (using satellite data, remote sensing devices and data gathering technologies) to help optimise the way they manage their farms. Ostriches are used to … Multiple African Countries: Cotton made in Africa (CmiA), Task Force on Forced Labour and Decent Work. Cotton farming is best done in commercial quantities; hence you’ll need a large expanse. In the 2018-19 cotton season, 822,371 CmiA farmers in Benin, Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Cote d’Ivoire, Ghana, Mozambique, Nigeria, Tanzania, Uganda and Zambia produced 576,000 metric tonnes of cotton lint in line with the CmiA and Better Cotton Standards. The cotton plant makes up cotton lint which is the fabric like material and makes up 42 of the total weight of the plant. Cotton production is inherently non-impactful on the environment. Cotton was finally adapted to grow in more temperate climates by the Islamic Agricultural Revolution, and between 900–1000 CE, a boom in cotton production spread into Persia, Southwest Asia, North Africa, and the Mediterranean Basin. Building smallholders’ capacity and helping them gain access to vital funding and inputs remains an important priority for BCI in the years ahead. of Farmers: 25,584 No. South Africa is a net importer of cotton lint and between 40 to 60 % of its cotton needs is imported annually. Specifically, this means that the cotton is grown under rain-fed conditions, cultivated using pesticides and fertilisers in an effective and responsible way, and harvested by … Mali is the largest producer in this region followed by Burkina Faso, Benin and Senegal. Cotton made in Africa. Many farmers qualifying under CmiA are now able to market their cotton as Better Cotton or Cotton made in Africa, depending on the demand in the market. Image: Licensed CmiA Farmers © Martin J. Kielmann for CmiA. Cotton grows well in a warm and moist climate where summer is long and where there is salinity in the soil, this makes Sub-Saharan Africa one of the largest cotton … By 2009, … Cotton production in Burkina Faso is continuing its downward slide three years after the nation phased out the use of pest-resistant genetically modified (GM) cotton. Africa exported 975306 tons of cotton lint in 2017, major importers of African cotton are Bangladesh, Vietnam, China, and Malaysia. Most cotton grown in Africa is grown by smallholders (farmers farming on less than twenty hectares of land). Cotton made in Africa (CmiA) is an internationally recognised standard for sustainable cotton from Africa. The earliest evidence of the use of cotton in the Old World, dated to 5500 BC and preserved in copper beads, has been found at the Neolithic site of Mehrgarh, at the foot of the Bolan Pass in Balochistan, Pakistan. You give us your permission to do so by continuing to use our website. Last April, the Inter-professional Cotton Association of Burkina (AICB), an industry body comprising farmers and other sector players, set a production target of 800,000 tonnes for the 2018-19 cotton … So the British East Africa Corporation Ltd was established in 1906 with the aim of spreading the work of the British Cotton Growing Association, a body designed to encourage cotton growing in the British Empire and to establish cotton … Cotton crops in Africa are grown both with irrigation systems and on dry land. Cotton Cotton grows in warm climates and most of the world’s cotton is grown in the U.S., Uzbekistan, the People’s Republic of China and India. 2020. The most commercially grown cotton species is Gossypium hirsutum, first developed by the Mayan civilisation in Mexico. Cotton seeds are planted in spring and the plant grows into green, bushy shrubs about one metre in height. Arab merchants brought cotton cloth to Europe about 800 A.D. Fig. In the 2018-19 cotton season, 646 licensed BCI Farmers produced 18,000 tonnes of Better Cotton lint on 18,000 hectares. Cotton Exporter Africa. They also found that the cotton itself was much like that grown in America today. Cotton has been a major cash crop in Africa, mainly in Nigeria, the areas cotton is grown in Nigeria is concentrated in the Savannah belts of the country which is the Northern & South Western Nigeria such as Kano, Kaduna, Oyo, Ondo, Kwara, Katsina, Jigawa, Ogun, Kebbi, Sokoto & Zamfara state. FIG. Angora goats are raised for mohair, while sheep produce Merino wool crops in Africa. Chad: Ethiopia: Kenya: Tanzania: Sudan: South Sudan: Uganda: Cotton An independent study comparing the two standards led to a benchmarking agreement between BCI and AbTF, whereby the cotton verified as CmiA/SCS can also be sold as Better Cotton (but not vice versa). Cotton Production in Sub-Saharan Africa According to Baffes (2004), African cotton is almost exclusively grown by smallholder farmers, using sustainable growing methods with harmony between agriculture, the natural environment and human beings. In fact, the country barely produced any cocoa until the 1980s. Find out more about the success, challenges and key changes that happened in the 2018-19 cotton season in the Better Cotton Country Snapshots. The number of countries planting biotech crops on the continent has grown from three in 2018 to six in 2019. Nowadays Egyptian Extra Fine & Extra Long Staple Cotton, t he finest in the world, including Cotton varieties like . Cotton Made in Africa is a project based on standards and criteria designed to help the socio-economic development of smallholder cotton farmers in sub-Saharan Africa through trade and to improve the social, ecological, and economic living conditions of these agricultural communities. Texas is the United States’ largest cotton producer; it accounts for approximately 45 percent of all the country’s cotton production. Cotton imports Source: Agricultural Statistics FIG. Cotton was finally adapted to grow in more temperate climates by the Islamic Agricultural Revolution, and between 900–1000 CE, a boom in cotton production spread into Persia, Southwest Asia, North Africa… The Greek cotton industry has shown a small interest in organic cotton. In West Africa, organic and / or Fairtrade cotton production is centred in Benin, Burkina Faso, Mali and Senegal. Cotton is now grown in five main regions; Kwa-Zulu Natal, Limpopo, Mpumalanga, Northern Cape and North-West Provinces. In 2013, following three years of collaboration, BCI completed a Strategic Partnership Agreement with the Aid by Trade Foundation (AbTF), owners of the Cotton made in Africa (CmiA) Standard and Smallholder Cotton Standard (SCS). Production can be challenging, as the crop is prone to attack by a wide variety of pests, especially African bollworm and sucking pests like aphids and whiteflies. We use cookies to improve your experience on our site and for tracking purposes. Cotton is one of the few crops that is cultivated as a cash crop, exclusively for export purposes. Cotton may have been grown in the Xinjiang (China) province cities of Turfan and Khotan by the 8th century CE. Some pioneer settlers thought cotton might succeed in East Africa. In South Africa cotton was planted in the Western Cape as early as 1690. Giza 45, Giza 87 and Giza 93, represents less than one percent of the total local … The African continent represents 5% of global cotton production and more than 9% of the worlds cotton exports. Better Cotton is grown in the subtropical highlands of the Loskop area, … Cotton South Africa is BCI’s Implementing Partner in South Africa. Cotton is planted during October and harvested at the beginning of the winter season, from April to July, when temperatures can drop below freezing point on winter evenings. It produces 3,999 thousand metric tonnes a year. We also work with cotton companies and retail partners to invest in community projects focused on women’s empowerment, education, nature protection, water and hygiene, which provide broader benefits to cotton-producing communities.” – Tina Stridde, Managing Director at Aid by Trade Foundation. 5. Agriculture employs 65 percent of Africa's labor force and is responsible for 32 percent of its gross domestic product. BCI started its first operations in Africa in 2010 and now runs programmes directly in four African countries: Madagascar, Mali, Mozambique and South Africa. Working groups have been put in place to develop common solutions for issues such as child labour, Integrated Pest Management, monitoring and evaluation and supply chain. Other leading cotton … Cocoa cultivation in Indonesia is a relatively new industry. Today Africa produces nearly half a million tons of tea annually, grown primarily in the African nations of Kenya, Malawi, Tanzania, Rwanda, Uganda, and Zimbabwe. Angora goats are raised for mohair, while sheep produce Merino wool crops in Africa. In that year, cotton … Cottonseed is crucial in the vegetable oil and animal feed industries. By official estimates, cotton lint makes up for the 85% of the total cotton income while the rest is from the cotton seed. Cotton crops in Africa are grown both with irrigation systems and on dry land. To advance South Africa to an environmentally responsible future, the cotton industry is continuing with the development and implementation of new technologies and methods of cotton production and manufacturing, and developing new uses for the cotton plant that will result in meeting consumer needs and to balance productivity and profit, without compromising the ability of […] Last April, the Inter-professional Cotton Association of Burkina (AICB), an industry body comprising farmers and other sector players, set a production target of 800,000 tonnes for the 2018-19 cotton season. Leasing should be at least 10 years so that you can have adequate time to obtain a reasonable return on your investment. We use cookies to improve your experience on our site and for tracking purposes. ... Over a third of China's oil comes from Africa, as does 20% of the country’s cotton. Opinion - Cotton lint is the most important input in the textile industry. Ostriches are used to produce leather products, while goats are often farmed for milk or meat. Indonesia is the only one of the top five cocoa-producing countries that is not located in Africa, but in Southeast Asia. Over this period of time, China’s GDP has grown more than 10-fold, ranking #2 in the world today. You can either acquire or lease your land depending on your preference. African fish farm crops include trout, tilapia, catfish, oysters and mussels. Greece imports only a small amount of cotton, but its exports are significant, making Greece the fourth largest cotton exporter in the world (USDA Economic and Statistics System). About 8% of the cotton traded in the world market is harvested in Sub-Saharan Africa. Smaller tea gardens are also starting to develop in the regions of Burundi, Cameroon, Congo- Zaire, Ethiopia, Mauritius, Mozambique, South Africa, and Zambia. The cotton plant also produces a fruit called bolls which are used as the food. Supima cotton is a type Pima cotton that has received the blessing of the American Supima Association (ASA). 5. These farmers tend to have a limited access to inputs such as water and pesticides and achieve … Sorghum, millet, corn and rice are grown as subsistence crops with cash crops including groundnuts, cotton seed, cotton fibre and sesame. The crop is mostly grown within the “Cotton Belt”, an area that comprises 17 southern states including Virginia, Arizona, Mississippi and Texas. Cotton made in Africa is a project initiative launched and managed by the Aid by Trade Foundation (AbTF), headquartered in Hamburg. The Rise and Decline of Cotton Growing in Kenya. This partnership means that BCI does not introduce a parallel scheme in countries where AbTF and CmiA are already delivering benefits to smallholder farmers. of Women Farmers: 6,625 Organic Cotton Production Area: 38,821 ha Seed Cotton Production: 21,721 mt Fiber (lint) Production: 8,922 mt Bales (US) of Cotton Lint: 40,952 Cotton … Opinion - Cotton lint is the most important input in the textile industry. “Our training and support goes beyond sustainable agricultural practices. Who is BCI’s Implementing Partner in South Africa? The first harvest of Better Cotton took place in the 2016-17 cotton season. Cotton is one of the most important cash crops on the continent. Cotton is a fluffy, soft fiber that grows in a boll around the seeds of cotton plants. Burkina Faso in Western Africa has 90% of its population engaged in subsistence agriculture. Cotton is grown in small pockets throughout the entire country. 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