#Natural Fibers

2025-09-25

Cotton made in Africa launches public consultation for standard revision

The Aid by Trade Foundation (AbTF) is opening public consultation on its Cotton made in Africa standard today. Interested parties will have 60 days to provide feedback, helping shape the future of one of the world’s largest standards for sustainable cotton. The latest update to the standard, Version 5.0, focusses on increasing Cotton made in Africa’s effectiveness and adapting its criteria and indicators to external factors, which currently include biodiversity loss and a growing set of reporting requirements for companies.

Public consultation launched on revision of the Cotton made in Africa standard

The public consultation on the draft of CmiA Standard Vol. 5.0 will run from 19 September to 17 November 2025. This revision revolves around three elements in particular. The first is precision, with indicators being reduced in number and reformulated to be more concise and easier to understand. Secondly, the standard’s objectives are being reprioritised, for instance, through new or reformulated indicators that strengthen biodiversity, climate change resilience, or cooperation between cotton companies and farmers. The third point of focus is to ensure that indicators for human rights and risk management meet the increasingly strict requirements regarding due diligence and corporate sustainability reporting.

“Having received valuable feedback on CmiA Standard Version 4.0 from partners and stakeholders in recent months, we look forward to hearing the public response to our draft of Version 5.0,” says Alexandra Perschau, the head of the Standards & Outreach Department of AbTF, adding, “If this topic interests you, this is an excellent opportunity to actively participate in shaping our approach to supporting small-scale farmers producing cotton in Africa, to protecting biodiversity, and to giving companies access to the sustainable resources they need to fulfil their due diligence obligations.”

How the revision process works

The revision of the standard started in the spring of this year, with a two-day workshop in which partners and stakeholders in Côte d’Ivoire provided important input. Also taken into account were verification results from the last few years as well as additional findings from monitoring and evaluation processes and from innovations in sustainable cotton cultivation. After receiving feedback from the public consultation and from the technical advisory group, the approval of the AbTF Board of Trustees will be sought; if granted, Version 5.0 will enter into force in 2026.

How to participate

Public interest groups are invited to provide online feedback on the draft of CmiA Standard Vol. 5.0 between 19 September and 17 November 2025. A copy of the draft can be downloaded here. General feedback can be sent to standards@abt-foundation.org. To provide detailed feedback on specific standard requirements, an Excel version of CmiA Standard Vol. 5 is available through the online platform indicated above.

https://cottonmadeinafrica.org/en/standard-revision/

EUR 2.8 million project for climate-resilient agriculture in Africa

Healthy soils, responsible water use, and biodiversity conservation are central to the efforts of the Aid by Trade Foundation (AbTF) to make African cotton production more resilient to climate change. AbTF has opened new doors for small-scale farming families in Africa through a EUR 2.8 million project for climate-resilient cotton cultivation. Over the last three years, more than 100,000 farmers in Africa were involved in testing various soil improvement measures, with encouraging results: yields on demonstration sites increased significantly, despite the effects of climate change.

Cotton farmers in Benin benefit from organic cotton cultivation

Launched three years ago with EUR 1 million in total volume, a project called “Growing Benin’s Organic Cotton Sector” aimed to support small-scale farmers in transitioning to organic cotton cultivation in accordance with the Cotton made in Africa Organic standard, to avoid the use of synthetic pesticides, and to further develop the organic cotton sector, thereby securing the future of farming communities. The project has proved a success as participating cotton farmers are benefiting from higher incomes.

Cotton made in Africa supports the development of West African textile production in Benin

The West African country of Benin is well on its way to establishing itself as a new procurement and production hub for textiles and clothing; these efforts include having locally produced cotton made into textiles for the global market. The Aid by Trade Foundation (AbTF) is supporting this development through Cotton made in Africa (CmiA), one of its sustainability standards, which not only provides a sustainable and local basis for textile production but also facilitates access to international markets. Recently, a delegation of AbTF visited the CmiA project country of Benin for a first-hand look at the progress being made.

Small-Scale farmers in Africa increasing focus on biodiversity in fight against effects of climate change

How much of an impact is climate change having on Africa’s biodiversity? How is it damaging agriculture? To answer these questions, Cotton made in Africa (CmiA), the internationally recognised standard for sustainably produced cotton, worked together with the Zambia Agriculture Research Institute to survey the people whose very existence is under threat by climate change: cotton farmers in Zambia.

Rieter adjusts group structure in preparation for Barmag integration

The planned acquisition of the “Barmag” Division of OC Oerlikon will create the leading system provider worldwide for natural and man-made fibers. Rieter is confident it will receive all regulatory approvals to complete the acquisition in the fourth quarter of 2025. The Rieter Group is therefore adjusting its Group structure as of January 1, 2026, to take this acquisition into account and to be able to provide an even more agile response to market challenges.

Cooperation in the field of meltblown laboratory technology

The Nonwoven Institute (NWI) at North Carolina State University and Oerlikon Nonwoven will be collaborating in the field of meltblown laboratory technology in the future. This was announced by Professor Raoul Farer, Executive Deputy Director of the NWI and Professor at the Wilson College of Textiles at North Carolina State University, and Dr. Ingo Mählmann, Sales Director Nonwoven at Oerlikon Neumag, during this year's ITMA Asia and CITME in Singapore.

European Commission imposes registration on imports of PET spunbond from China

On 15 September 2025, the European Commission opened an Anti-dumping (AD) investigation into imports of PET spunbond from China following a complaint by the EU industry (AD738). On 2 December 2025, the Commission made imports of PET spunbond from China subject to registration. This is an important milestone in the proceedings.

Mayer & Cie. to shut down after failed search for investor – 270 jobs affected

Mayer & Cie., the long-established German manufacturer of circular knitting and braiding machines, will cease operations after its international search for an investor ended without success. The company, based in Albstadt-Tailfingen, had been undergoing insolvency proceedings in self-administration since its filing on 23 September 2025. As Schwarzwälder Bote reports, the insolvency court has now formally opened the proceedings, triggering the decision to wind down the business in an orderly process.