WT/CFMC/W/75  
 
25 May 2018  
(18-3146) Page: 1/3 
  Original: English  
 
COMPETITIVE AF RICAN COTTON INITIAT IVE 
EMPOWERING SMALL -SCALE COTTON FARMERS  IN SUB-SAHARAN AFRICA  
The following communication, dated 23 May 2018, is being circulated at the request of the 
European Union on behalf of the delegation of Germany.  
 
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1  BACKGROUND  
1.1.  In 2015, around 17% of the world cotton trade originated from Sub-Saharan Africa  (SSA), 
the third largest cotton exporter. Besides coffee and cocoa the natural fibre is one of the most 
important agricultural export goods of the  African continent.  
1.2.  Cotton is grown in W est and Southeast Africa by 3.4  million smallholder farmers. Often, the 
production is carried out in small -scale structu res under rain -fed conditions ( without artificial 
irrigation ) and is part of a highly diversifi ed production system. The smallholder farmers are 
integrated in the cotton value -chain through outgrower schemes.  Due to lack of knowledge of 
appropriate methods of sustainable cotton production, weak access to services, a poor linkage to 
international mar kets and often unfavourable political framework conditions, inadequate use has 
been made of the potential the cotton sector holds for poverty alleviation and economic 
development in SSA.  
2  THE INITIATIVE  
2.1.  Against this background, the Competitive African Cott on Initiative  (COMPACI) was created in 
2009, which aims at enabling 900,000 small -scale farmers in eleven countries of SSA to 
sustainably increase the productivity of their cotton and food crops production by the end of 2016, 
thereby raising their income b y 35%. In this way, the initiative reaches nearly 26% of all cotton 
farmers in SSA. Since cotton sales contribute to 34 -72% of the smallholders ' cash income, it 
allows them to improve their living conditions.  
3  THE STRATEGY  
 Training of small -scale cotton fa rmers in sustainable production/ cultivation techniques 
according to Cotton made in Africa  (CmiA) standard  
 Diversifiaction of cotton farming systems with food cultures  
 Linking farmers to global market for sustainable cotton through verification of cotton 
production according to CmiA  
 Business management training in form of 'Farmer Business Schools ' 
 Facilitating access to microcredits  
 Strengthening producer groups  
 Advising African governments in the introduction/ implementation of national cotton sector 
strategies  
 Collaboration with Pan African cotton associations  WT/CFMC/W/75  
 
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  4  STRONG PARTNERSHIP  
4.1.  The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation  (BMGF) and the Federal Ministry for Economic 
Cooperation and Development  (BMZ) are providing funding for the implementation of the 
COMPACI  program me, which is executed by GIZ and the Deutsche Investitions  - und 
Entwicklungsgesellschaft  (DEG). Local implementation partners are private cotton companies 
active in Africa and contribute a significant share of over 50% to the financing of the prog ramme. 
Since January 2013, the programme has entered its second phase and receives additional funding 
from the Aid by Trade Foundation  (AbTF), Walm art and the Gatsby Foundation.  
 
Cotton made in Africa  
 
4.2.  Cotton made in Africa  (CmiA) is an initiative founded in 2005  by the Aid by 
Trade  Foundation  (AbTF), pro -moting sustainable cotton cultivation in SSA in order to improve 
living conditions of cotton farmers and their families sust ainably. The cotton produced ac cording to 
the CmiA -standards is traded at world market prices. In order to produce textiles with the CmiA 
label, textile companies of the demand alliance pay a licence fee to the AbTF. The revenues are 
invested by the AbTF an d used to finance, among others, agricultural trainings of farmers, 
community projects within the project region as well as the verification of adherence to the 
sustainability criteria of the CmiA standards.  
5  ACHIEVEMENTS  
(December 2017)  
 Nearly 1 m illion s mallholder farmers were trained i n Basic Agricultural Techniques;  
 More than 763,000 farmers were trained in conservation agriculture technique ; 
 More than 996.000 farmers were trained in safe pesti -cide use and handlin ; 
 More than 250,000 producers were trained through Farmer Business School training ;  
 120,000 female farmers are organised in women 's cooperative ;  
 780,000 small -scale farmers are verified according to the Cotton made in Africa  (CmiA) 
standards . 
6  IMPACT  
 Increased economically, environmentally  and socially sustainable cotton production;  
 Significant increase in efficiency of cotton production and thereby in farmers' income;  
 Increase in food crop production and thereby increase of food security of small -scale farming 
families.  Approach  Enable small -scale cotton farmers to sustainably improve their livin g 
conditions  
Duration  01/2009 -12/2012  
01/2013 -12/2017  
Project region and number of 
cooperating farmers  Benin, Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Côte  d'Ivoire, Ethiopia, Ghana, Malawi, 
Mozambique, Tanzania, Uganda, Zambia  
>926.000 farmers  
Partners  GIZ, DEG, AbTF, BMGF, Gatsby Foundation, Walmart,  
private cotton companies in SSA  
Further  
information  http://www.compaci.org/en/   
http://www.cottonmadeinafrica.org/en/  WT/CFMC/W/75  
 
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  7  OUTLOOK  
7.1.  By the end  of 2016, BMZ and the Gates Foundation withdrew from cofinancing the 
programme. As a final measure, the establishment of a foundation of cotton processing companies 
in Africa was promoted (11/2017). Through the African Cotton Foundation  (ACF) committed cot ton 
companies aim to promote an inter -firm, small -scale and sustainable cotton production in the 
future.  
7.2.  As a possible continuation of COMPACI, BMZ has been sup -porting activities of the 
"Cotton  Expert House Africa"  (CHA) since 2017. The CHA is a non -profit corporation founded by 
the Aid by Trade Foundation and the GFA Consulting Group (GFA) in December 2016. Their goal is 
to increase the share of sustainably produced cotton in Africa and to improve the living conditions 
of small -scale cotton producers.  
 
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