Better Cotton is moving aggressively into Côte d’Ivoire with plans to be supporting 200,000 farmers within the next five years.
The world’s largest sustainability initiative, Better Cotton has chosen the Professional Association of Cotton Companies of Côte d’Ivoire (APROCOT-CI) as its strategic partner in the program. The goal will be to offer training and resources to farmers to increase the yield of sustainable cotton as well as monitor efforts to improve climate resilience and the profitability of farming communities. Côte d’Ivoire’s cotton forecast for the 2023/24 season is projected at 700,000 bales, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture data from May.
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Jean Francois Toure, president of APROCOT-CI, said the alliance will focus on having a positive impact on the local cotton industry by improving the livelihoods of smallholders.
“By integrating Better Cotton’s sustainable farming practices and APROCOT-CI’s local expertise, we aim to enhance cotton yields, reduce environmental impact and improve social and economic outcomes for farmers in the region,” Toure said.
APROCOT-CI works with farmers and gins across the country, through a network of six member organizations. They include CIDT, Ivoire Coton, Global Cotton SA, CO.I.-SA, SICOSA 2.0 and SECO SA.
The organization submitted a Declaration of Interest to Better Cotton last year, with an outline of plans for instituting the kind of program now being launched. In March, Better Cotton gathered stakeholders in Abidjan to explain the reach of a program of this kind.
The addition of Côte d’Ivoire to Better Cotton’s Africa membership roster reinforces its commitment to helping smallholders mitigate climate change and get sustainable agricultural practice on a regimen of continuous improvement. Better Cotton has strong roots on many levels of the sector, from farms to retail and brands, and is well placed to meet increasing demand with supply.
“Opening a new program in Côte d’Ivoire is an exciting step as Better Cotton bolsters its presence across the continent,” said Alan McClay, Better Cotton CEO. “Our partnership with APROCOT-CI will be fundamental to the delivery of our work in the country, helping domestic cotton farmers reap the environmental and economic rewards of more sustainable cotton production.”
Better Cotton had 2.9 million farmers in 22 countries receiving training in sustainable farming practices during the 2021-2022 cotton season. Of those, some 2.2 million farmers received Better Cotton licenses.
