Over the last few years, Textile Exchange has deepened its support of organic and preferred cotton production in Africa in a number of ways. This page is where you can access the latest information on these activities.
There are considerable opportunities for growth of organic and preferred cotton production and processing across Africa, and for cross-fertilization of ideas and best practices between and within countries and initiatives. So, too, is there a rapidly growing demand from brands for organically grown fiber, with local to global brands increasing their use of organic cotton year over year. There is huge potential for Africa to capitalize on this, particularly on European companies’ need and desire to reduce their carbon footprint and support more local and sustainable cotton production.
Why Africa? Hear from participants of our 2018 Regional OCRT in Koudougou, Burkina Faso.
Regional Organic Cotton Round Table | West Africa
Textile Exchange has found that bringing people together at the regional level from all parts of the supply network is a powerful way to catalyze action by bringing specific regional opportunities into focus, strengthening existing efforts and initiatives, and shaping customized approaches. This is what led to the launch of the Regional Organic Cotton Round Table (OCRT) in Izmir, Turkey, in 2017 and 2018, and again in China in 2019. The first Regional OCRT West Africa was held in Burkina Faso in 2018 – and we are excited to be back in 2020! Read more below.
2020 Regional OCRT | January 31 | Koudougou
The aim of the Regional OCRT will be to identify the opportunities for growth in the organic and fairtrade cotton sector in West Africa, and for developing manufacturing infrastructure and textile value chains. The full agenda will be shared shortly. In addition to the partners mentioned above, the event is further supported by the Swiss Cooperation (SDC) through Ministry of Commerce, Industry and Handicrafts of Burkina Faso, and by the German government (GIZ/BMZ).
Download event flyer | Télécharger le flyer de l’événement (EN & FR)
Photos from the Inaugural Regional OCRT in Koudougou in 2018
08:10 – 09:00 | Session 1:
Good practices in the artisanal and industrial production and transformation of organic & Fairtrade cotton in West Africa – lessons learnt, ways forward and opportunities
09:00 – 09:35 | Session 2:
Organic & Fairtrade Cotton Coalition West Africa: Current and past activities, commitments and perspectives
09:35 – 09:50 | Break
09:50 – 11:00 | Session 3:
Workshop in three groups:
Group 1: Organic & Fairtrade cotton production
Group 2: Manufacturing and industrial transformation
Group 3: Commercialisation of organic & Fairtrade cotton
All participants are required to register on the official SICOT homepage free of charge (http://sicot2020.optievent.com/connecter). You will be requested to provide information about yourself, your company and the events you would like to attend. Note: certain browsers have issues with this page. If the page stays blank, please try a different browser.
Official registration for the Regional Organic Cotton Round Table
During your registration for the SICOT, please tick the box for participating in the „Table ronde 2: Développement de la chaîne de valeur du coton biologique“ on January 31st from 08:00-11:00.
Visa
For participants of SICOT 2020, the visa for entering Burkina Faso is free of charge and will be issued upon arrival at the airport, but it must be requested in advance.
To request a visa, please write an email to info@sicot-bf.com with tobias.meier@ecos.ch and fabienne.krebs@ecos.ch in CC, and make sure to include the following information:
- Attach a photo or scan of your passport
- Attach a photo or scan of your flight itinerary
- Provide the following details:
- Last Name
- First Name
- Nationality
- Date of Birth
- Passport Number
- Date of Issue of Passport
- Passport Expiry Date
- Company
- Arrival Date & Flight Number
- Departure Date & Flight Number
You should receive a confirmation e-mail and an official document with the title “Promesse de Visa d’Entrée et de Court Séjour”, which you should print and bring with you on the trip.
To make your stay in Burkina Faso as pleasant as possible, SICOT offers an International Service Package for 500 Euro. The package includes the following and will be invoiced (500 Euro) directly by SICOT.
- Pick-up/drop-off: VIP welcome & transport from/to Ouagadougou airport
- Transportation: safe escort from Ouagadougou to Koudougou and back
- Accommodation: 1 night in Ouagadougou and 2 nights in Koudougou
- Meals: 3 breakfasts and 2 lunches
To book the International Service Package, please write an email to info@sicot-bf.com with tobias.meier@ecos.ch and fabienne.krebs@ecos.ch in CC, and include the following information:
- Last Name
- First Name
- Hotel Request in Koudougou: Splendid Hotel
- Billing Address
- Nationality
- Passport Number
- Arrival Date & Flight Number
- Departure Date & Flight Number
All foreign participants travelling to Burkina Faso for the International Cotton and Textile Fair (SICOT) must be in possession of a valid yellow fever vaccination certificate. It is also recommended to be vaccinated against hepatitis and cholera. As malaria is a widespread disease in Burkina Faso, it is also advisable to take the necessary prophylactic measures.
Security
There are security concerns in Burkina Faso at present and some governments are advising against travel to the country. Please check the security advisory page of your foreign ministry for more details.
Currently, the security situation in Ouagadougou and Koudougou, as well as the transfer route between the two, is considered safe: none of the regions lie in the dangerous ‘red zone’. To guarantee that the organizers of the SICOT accompany you from the airport to the conference venue and back, it is important to sign in on the official SICOT homepage with contact details to inform SICOT that you are attending. We recommend that you regularly check the security advisory page of your foreign ministry for the latest details.
GLOBAL OCRT
Textile Exchange’s Global Organic Cotton Round Table (OCRT) has evolved to become THE shared space for the organic cotton community to get together and learn more about issues facing the organic cotton sector, to diagnose these issues and, most importantly, find ways to take action. Since its inception, the OCRT has focused on addressing key challenges in the stability and sustainable growth of the organic cotton sector through three Task Forces: Business Models, Seed and Soils, and Consumer Engagement.
Under these Task Forces, the OCRT has identified a number of initiatives and has either catalyzed, or been an incubator for, their development. Such initiatives include the Organic Cotton Accelerator, the Chetna Coalition, aboutorganiccotton.org (a microsite dedicated to organic cotton), an inventory of non-GMO seed availability, and the OCRT Innovation Award.
Learn more about the OCRTREGIONAL OCRTs
After six years of approaching barriers to growth in organic cotton at the global level through the Global OCRT, the benefits of regionalizing strategies for organic cotton has become increasingly apparent. Ultimately, the same issues and opportunities exist for all, but each region is at a different stage of development and therefore requires a different strategy, alongside designated resources and networks of supporters.
Textile Exchange has found that bringing people together at the regional level from all parts of the supply network is a powerful way to catalyze action by bringing specific regional opportunities into focus, strengthening existing efforts and initiatives, and shaping customized approaches.
Textile Exchange first introduced the concept of the Regional OCRT in Izmir in 2017, exploring opportunities for organic cotton in Turkey, Egypt and Central Asia, returning again in May 2018. The success in Izmir led to Textile Exchange’s collaboration with the Catholic Relief Services and the development of this new Regional OCRT in Burkina Faso. We are in an exciting position now where we can learn from our collective experience in other regions, tap into what works, and fast-track innovation and action!
Learn more about the Izmir Regional OCRTpan-africa sourcing working group
Textile Exchange’s Pan-Africa Sourcing Working Group was initiated at the 2016 Organic Cotton Round Table in Hamburg, when it was proposed that a group be established to work on the various priorities that had been identified for expanding organic cotton production in Africa and better connecting to supply networks. The group is chaired by Prama Bhardwaj, CEO of Mantis World, and currently has 34 individual members from 23 different companies and organizations with broad industry representation. The ultimate objective of the group is to develop and support the market for preferred/more sustainable cotton produced in Africa. If you’re interested in joining or finding out more about this working group, feel free to contact us at Materials@TextileExchange.org.
White paper: The Threat of GM Technology and the Potential of Organic Cotton Agriculture in Africa
In light of the adoption of genetically modified organisms (GMOs) in several countries in Africa, Textile Exchange’s Pan-Africa Sourcing Working Group is currently working on a white paper to present the arguments for organic and other non-GM cotton production methods in Africa, and the risks of introducing GMOs. The full white paper will officially be published at the start of 2020, but an abridged version was presented by Marco Paul, Co-CEO of bioRe Tanzania Ltd., on November 27, 2019 at the National Ecological Organic Agriculture Conference in Dodoma, Tanzania. We are pleased to see that the presentation caught media attention and was featured in a popular blog (in Swahili).
network meeting | Vancouver | October 17, 2019
On Thursday October 17, 2019, Textile Exchange’s Pan-Africa Sourcing Working Group hosted a Network Meeting during the Textile Sustainability Conference in Vancouver. The event aimed to celebrate African cotton and highlight the work of some of the key stakeholders supporting organic and preferred cotton production across the continent.
Welcomes
- Silvere Tovignan, Regional Ambassador – Africa, Textile Exchange| Benin
- Prama Bhardwaj, CEO, Mantis World % Chair of Textile Exchange’s Pan-Africa Sourcing Working Group | United Kingdom
Silvere Tovignan and Prama Bhardwaj opened the evening, presenting recent developments in the organic cotton sector in Africa and introducing the activities of the Pan-Africa Sourcing Working Group.
Panel discussion
Moderator: Simon Cooper, Global Communications Lead, UNDP GCP
Panelists:
- Christa Suter, CEO, bioRe Foundation | Switzerland
- Heinrich Schultz, Managing Director, Organimark & Vice Chair of Textile Exchange’s Governance Board | South Africa
- Lakshmi Poti, Programme Manager | Sustainable Raw Materials, C&A Foundation
- Prama Bhardwaj, CEO, Mantis World % Chair of Textile Exchange’s Pan-Africa Sourcing Working Group | United Kingdom
- Roland Stelzer, Managing Partner, Cotonea/Elmer & Zweifel | Germany
- Silvere Tovignan, Regional Ambassador – Africa, Textile Exchange| Benin
- Simplice Davo Vodouhe, Coordinator, OBEPAB, President, West Africa Organic Network & Professor, Abomey-Calavi University| Benin
- Tobias Meier, Senior Project Manager Green Economy, ecos | Representent of the West Africa Organic & Fairtrade Cotton Coalition| Switzerland
Simon asked a series of questions to the panelist including:
- What is the potential of organic cotton in Africa?
- Why should a brand source organic cotton in Africa?
- What to expect when sourcing in Africa?
- What are you dreams for African OC cotton?
- How to build sustainable business relationship between African organic cotton producers and international partners for the livelihood of African organic cotton producers?
- How do you see the future of the organic cotton in Africa?
To close the panel, Boubacar Kamissokho and Kalo Millogo introduced the 2020 edition of the SICOT that will take place in Ougadougou (Burkina Faso) on January 30-31, 2020.
White paper presentation and discussion
- Sandra Marquardt, President, On the Mark Public Relations & Regional Ambassador – USA, Textile Exchange
Sandra presented the white paper that the Pan-Africa Sourcing Working Group has been working on, which outlines the benefits of organic and risks of genetically-modified for cotton production in Africa. Recommendations made in the white paper for different stakeholder groups were introduced and feedback was collected from attendees. The white paper is currently being finalized and will be published at the start of 2020. An abridged version was presented at the National Ecological Organic Agriculture Conference on November 27, 2019 in Dodoma, Tanzania, by Marco Paul, Co-CEO of bioRe Tanzania Ltd.
Networking session
The evening closed with a networking session allowing attendees to exchange with each other. Attendees included regional farm group representative, government representatives, certifiers, cotton initiatives, brands, NGOs and other important stakeholders.
Video Insights
Filmed at the inaugural Regional OCRT West Africa in September 2018, Out of the Box Series 2 is a powerful and thought-provoking interview series providing a unique insight into the wealth of talent, knowledge and leadership that exists in West Africa’s cotton sector; a sector that is fast gaining attention on the international stage.
CRS: The Power Behind Your Purchase
hessnatur: Organic Cotton in Burkina Faso
UNPCB’s Organic and Fairtrade Cotton Program
Status of Organic Cotton Production in Africa
The production of organic cotton is increasing worldwide, with Africa – led by Tanzania – growing approximately four percent of the global total in 2017/18. According to Textile Exchange’s latest Organic Cotton Market Report, eight African countries – Benin, Burkina Faso, Egypt, Ethiopia, Mali, Senegal, Tanzania, and Uganda – grew organic cotton in 2017/18. Tanzania is by far the largest organic cotton producing country on the continent, followed by (in order of rank) Uganda, Benin, Burkina Faso, Mali, Egypt, Ethiopia and Senegal.
In total, there were 36,110 organic cotton farmers in Africa (including Egypt) growing 7,335 metric tons of cotton fiber on 68,540 hectares (ha) of land. An additional 2,755 ha were in transition to organic cotton between Tanzania (1,297 ha), Egypt (1,043 ha), and Mali (415 ha). Compared to 2016/17, this represents a 20 percent increase in organic cotton fiber production and a 46 percent increase in certified organic land under cotton production.
Quick Links
About organic cotton
Organic cotton is cotton that is produced and certified to organic agricultural standards.
Learn morePFM ROUND TABLES
2019 Market report
The 2019 Organic Cotton Market Report is now available, sharing the latest data and insights from the 2017/18 harvest.
Access hereCFMB
The Corportate Fiber & Materials Benchmark (CFMB) helps companies measure, manage and integrate a preferred fiber & materials strategy.
Read moreSUSTAINABILITY ASSESSMENT
A framework for assessing the environmental, social & economic impacts of organic cotton agriculture.
Learn moreGlossary
contact us
For more information, or to register your interest and receive updates about this event, don’t hesitate to contact the team at: Materials@textileexchange.org
