Cotton made in Africa Partners Receive Top Marks in Independent Verifications
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Hamburg, 2026-06-30. 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.
In 2025, 24 verification missions took place at 20 cotton companies in ten production countries in Africa South of the Sahara. Of these verifications, twelve were at the field level and twelve at the ginnery level, where the harvested cotton is prepared for further processing. The verifications focussed on the four main pillars of the CmiA standards’ sustainability aspects: management, people, planet, and prosperity.
Verifications Completed with Top Marks
Compliance with minimum requirements and progress of sustainability performance are regularly checked through independent, on-site verifications. The 2025 Aggregated Verification & Implementation Report summarises these results, regarding the twelve principles and 288 indicators, for all partners. It clearly shows that the implementation of these criteria by partnering companies, both in the fields and in their businesses, earned a rating of “very good” for all pillars. The best results were achieved in the prosperity pillar, with the management pillar following at its heels. This was followed by the remaining pillars: people and planet.
“These results bear out our principle of consistently assisting partners in implementing the standards’ requirements through diverse approaches. Only close cooperation—as equals and on site—makes these results possible,” says Ruth Achterwinter, the CmiA verification manager at the Aid by Trade Foundation, adding, “The verifications are carried out on an ongoing basis by independent and qualified organisations. We make targeted use of the results to support our partners as needed.”
Success Factors: Training and Projects for Cotton Smallholders, Events Conducted with Partners
In 2025, training once again offered valuable support to the approximately 715,000 CmiA farmers (almost 43,000 of whom are producers of CmiA Organic cotton) in implementing the standard’s requirements. The range of topics covered by the training is broad, ranging from best practices in climate-resilient cotton production to empowering women to methods for soil improvement.
In addition, the report demonstrates that the achievement of trustworthy and comprehensive cooperation between AbTF and its partners is based on projects and regular events; these include the Innovations Club, regional workshops, and collaboration with international cotton representatives and stakeholders.
Press Contact
Christina Ben Bella, e-mail: christina.benbella@abt-foundation.org Holger Diedrich, e-mail: holger.diedrich@abt-foundation.org
Aid by Trade Foundation | Werner-Otto-Straße 13 b | 22197 Hamburg | Germany
Information for Editors
Here you will find information on the verification results relating to the Regenerative Cotton Standard® (RCS): Over 40,000 Smallholders in India and Tanzania Growing Cotton Under Regenerative Cotton Standard
About Cotton made in Africa
The Cotton made in Africa® initiative (CmiA) was founded in 2005 under the umbrella of the Hamburg-based Aid by Trade Foundation (AbTF). CmiA is an internationally recognised standard for sustainably verified cotton from Africa, connecting African small-scale farmers with trading companies and fashion brands throughout the global textile value chain. The initiative’s objective is to employ trade, rather than donations, to protect the environment and to improve the living conditions of small-scale farmers and their families. Apart from the farming families, people working in ginneries also benefit from improved working conditions. Additional projects addressing schooling, health, environmental protection, and women’s empowerment contribute to better living conditions in farming communities as well. Learn more at: cottonmadeinafrica.org/en
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
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