Aid by Trade Foundation Receives Honorary Award of the German Africa Foundation 2025
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Berlin/Hamburg, 26 June 2025 - On the evening of 25 June, the Hamburg-based Aid by Trade Foundation (AbTF) received the Honorary Award of the German Africa Foundation 2025. Prof. Dr Michael Otto, the foundation’s founder and a prominent entrepreneur, accepted the award at a ceremony held at the German Bundestag. The Parliamentary State Secretary to the Federal Minister for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ), Dr Bärbel Kofler, presented the award in the presence of guests from politics, business and civil society as well as representatives of African embassies.
With this award, the German Africa Foundation recognises the Aid by Trade Foundation's long-standing commitment to sustainable economic development through trade. With the Cotton made in Africa (CmiA) initiative, the Aid by Trade Foundation, which was established in 2005, pursues the objective of creating decent employment through fair trade, increasing agricultural production and protecting the environment in the process. CmiA is now the world’s leading standard for sustainable cotton production from Africa.
“The Foundation's work is a successful model for public-private cooperation and it has succeeded in establishing a profitable and effective public-private partnership,” Dr Kofler emphasised at the award ceremony. About one million smallholder farmers and their families in ten African countries are now benefiting from Cotton made in Africa. The initiative, which received support from the BMZ from the outset, likewise stands for successful collaboration between the worlds of business and development cooperation—a goal that is to be further strengthened in the current legislative period.
“Together with more than 60 international trade partners, CmiA is setting an important example for ecological and social sustainability in the textile industry,” said the founder of AbTF, Prof. Dr Michael Otto. CmiA now accounts for around 30% of African cotton production and is known for its low CO₂footprint, the complete absence of irrigation, and GMO-free seeds.
In addition to economic and environmental aspects, the initiative is particularly committed to social sustainability in the project regions - for example through training courses for small-scale farmers, projects in the area of education and health and the promotion of women in rural regions. The overall aim is to sustainably strengthen local structures - always in cooperation with local partners.
Press Contact
AbTF: Christina Ben Bella, E-Mail: Christina.Benbella@abt-foundation.org DAS: Larissa Pflüger, +49 152 27418693, pflueger@deutsche-afrika-stiftung.de
About the Aid by Trade Foundation
Founded by the entrepreneur Prof. Dr Michael Otto in 2005, the Aid by Trade Foundation (AbTF) is an internationally renowned non-profit organisation that works throughout the world to promote sustainable raw materials. Its work makes a decisive and measurable contribution to improving the living conditions of people and animals while protecting the environment. With its verified raw materials Cotton made in Africa® (CmiA), Cotton made in Africa Organic (CmiA Organic), Regenerative Cotton Standard® (RCS) and The Good Cashmere Standard® (GCS), the foundation is putting its goals into practice. In view of the increasing challenges posed to small farmers and textile companies by the consequences of climate change and market shifts, the standards are of fundamental importance for their resilience and sustainability. The foundation works in close cooperation with industry experts and with specialists in animal and nature protection. More information at: www.aidbytrade.org
About the German Africa Foundation
The German Africa Foundation (DAS) is a non-partisan foundation that promotes a more differentiated image of Africa in politics and the public sphere and strengthens African-German relations. It offers a platform for dialogue between African and German actors from politics, business and civil society - including various groups from the African diaspora. Since 2019, the DAS has honoured individuals who have made a special contribution to fostering and deepening African-German relations with the German Africa Foundation's Honorary Award. The award winners are selected by the Foundation's Executive Board. The work of the DAS is institutionally supported by the Federal Foreign Office following a decision by the German Bundestag. Further information on the work of the German Africa Foundation : deutsche-afrika-stiftung.de
