#Raw Materials

2025-05-22

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.

The CAR-iSMa project (in full: “Climate Adaptation and Resilience – A Pan-African Learning & Knowledge Exchange Project on Improved Soil Management”) ends with impressive outcomes. In Côte d’Ivoire, the project’s demonstration fields achieved crop yields of up to 37 percent higher than fields without soil optimisation measures. In addition, following a poor 2022/2023 harvest due to pest damage, the participating Ivorian farmers recorded an average increase in yield from 272 to 1,007 kilograms per hectare in the 2023/2024 season, which resulted in an average increase in income of EUR 509.

(c) 2025 CmiA - Tina Stridde, managing director Aid by Trade FOundation

“It speaks for itself that far more than our target number of 100,000 small-scale farmers chose to be trained in the theory and practice of regenerative and climate-resilient agriculture,” says Tina Stridde, the managing director of the Aid by Trade Foundation, adding, “In this project, we worked together with scientists, agricultural experts, and small-scale farmers to bring compost and biochar to the fields and to assess the feasibility of applying carbon credits to small-scale cotton production. We investigated new ways to secure good prospects of a stable income for small-scale farmers and their families, even in times of climate change.”

Climate-Resilient Agriculture: Creating Opportunities Through Compost, Biochar, and Carbon Credits

In the course of the project, AbTF focussed on practical measures for improving soil quality, responsible water use, and biodiversity conservation as a basis for greater resilience in small-scale agriculture. “For us, this project reinforced a more resilient way of working with farmers. We are now integrating many of these techniques into our core operations and exploring the potential for carbon farming initiatives, using the tested regenerative soil practices as a strong foundation,” explains Ivans Trigo Popinsky, Director of Production at SAN-JFS, a cotton company from Mozambique involved in the CAR-iSMa project. In addition to trainings and workshops, feasibility studies on carbon sequestration were conducted to assess the potential of different soil improvement methods. In the long term, these findings could open up new sources of income through carbon credits in small-scale cotton cultivation.

Getting Results: Regenerating Soil, Preserving Biodiversity, Empowering Women

Over the span of three years, international and interorganisational meetings were held with local farmers and partners to test and share knowledge on the production and effects of compost, biochar, and bokashi as well as erosion control techniques and soil cultivation methods. Project activities also addressed strategic crop rotation, crop diversification, cover crops, tree planting, and integrated production and pest management (IPPM). In parallel, innovative training materials were developed to ensure that awareness-raising efforts can continue long after the project’s end. Finally, it is especially gratifying to see women in all project regions now serving as role models, spreading the project’s innovative ideas, and becoming involved in compost production, which provides a new source of income in many cases.

Having been launched as an initiative of the Aid by Trade Foundation, CAR-iSMa was funded by BMZ (the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development) in collaboration with GIZ (Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit) as part of its Sub-Saharan Cotton Initiative. The project was implemented together with the agricultural group LDC Suisse and over the complete project duration with locally operating cotton companies in Côte d’Ivoire, Zambia and Mozambique

Cotton made in Africa partners receive top marks in independent verifications

Cotton made in Africa® (CmiA) and CmiA Organic are two internationally recognised standards that aim to promote sustainable development in the African cotton sector south of the Sahara. To ensure the standards’ credibility among brands, retailers, and consumers, independent verifiers evaluate compliance on the ground. The verification results for 2025, now published in the Aggregated Verification & Implementation Report, were very strong: The verifiers awarded consistently very good remarks regarding management, people, prosperity, and the environment.

New study shows low environmental impact by Cotton made in Africa Organic Cotton from Tanzania

Today, the Aid by Trade Foundation (AbTF) is announcing the results of a comprehensive life-cycle analysis (LCA) for cotton produced in Tanzania under the Cotton made in Africa Organic (CmiA Organic) standard. The study emphasises the small ecological footprint of CmiA Organic verified cotton. This can largely be traced back to the absence of synthetic pesticides, artificial fertilisers, and artificial irrigation. Consequently, CmiA Organic cotton can help the textile industry meet regulatory requirements as well as science-based targets. The results also show that the consequences of climate change threaten the livelihoods of these cotton farmers, even though the type of agriculture they practise barely contributes to climate change.

International Women’s Day: Cotton made in Africa strengthens equality for women through targeted investments

On the occasion of International Women’s Day—which will be observed on 8 March under the motto “Rights. Justice. Action. For ALL Women and Girls”—the Aid by Trade Foundation (AbTF), which is responsible for Cotton made in Africa® (CmiA), underlines its long-standing and ongoing commitment to the equality of women in African cotton production areas.

Human Rights Day: Cotton made in Africa reinforces its commitment to ensuring respect for human rights in cotton production

The sustainable cotton standard Cotton made in Africa (CmiA) has always focussed on respect for human rights, including by prohibiting child labour and discrimination. With the new version of the CmiA standard coming into force, AbTF raises requirements for due diligence in the areas of human rights and risk management.

AMSilk and Ajinomoto Foods Europe expand partnership to enable industrial-scale production of silk proteins

AMSilk GmbH (“AMSilk”), a global leader leader in biotech produced silk materials, today announced a significant expansion of its partnership with Ajinomoto Foods Europe (AFE), marking a key step in scaling the industrial production of its silk proteins. Building on the collaboration first established in 2023, the two companies have now entered into a long-term manufacturing and supply agreement, enabling the transition from industrial validation to dedicated, large-scale production.

Rieter sees Barmag integration on track as orders and sales rise

The first half of 2026 was shaped by the successful completion of the largest acquisition in Rieter’s history. The Man-Made Fiber Division enables entry into the growth segment of man-made fibers and sustainably strengthens Rieter’s market position in the Asia region. The expanded Group is now the world’s leading system supplier for the processing of natural and man-made fibers. In the first half of the year, initial cost savings in material costs and operating expenses have already been realized. The targeted synergies are expected to amount to at least CHF 20 million by the end of the 2028 financial year. Due to the completion of the acquisition on February 2, 2026, the first half of the year for the Man-Made Fiber Division only amounts to five months.

C&S strengthens its governance to support its evolution

C&S announces the appointment of Marco Lucietti to its Board of Directors. With extensive international experience across the textile and denim industries, Lucietti will work alongside CEO Federico Corneli, contributing to the company’s managerial development, organizational structure and long-term strategic direction.