Following a decade-long collaboration, Aid by Trade Foundation (AbTF) and Better Cotton have agreed to end the sale of Cotton Made in Africa (CmiA)-verified cotton as Better Cotton at the end of 2022 – and to establish a new organization in 2023 that will focus on joint projects for African smallholder farmers.

The decision comes as the Aid by Trade Foundation (AbTF) and Better Cotton are establishing a new form of collaboration for greater impact. The new setup between the two organizations will focus on developing cooperative projects for African smallholder farmers.

Climate change adaptation and mitigation, soil fertility, biodiversity, women's empowerment, and child labor are among the topics that will be addressed in the new joint projects, which will require funding from both public and private donors.

AbTF and Better Cotton launched their first strategic alliance in 2012. It was founded on the successful benchmarking of the two standards, allowing CmiA verified cotton companies to market their CmiA verified cotton as Better Cotton and textile companies and traders to demand sustainably produced CmiA cotton as Better Cotton.

Both organizations claim to have grown and evolved since the first agreement and have so opted to end their current agreement and adopt a new form of cooperation that provides for greater flexibility and innovation.

Together, AbTF and Better Cotton say they recognize that concrete projects that provide long-term benefits to people and the environment will have the greatest impact.

AbTF and Better Cotton remain committed to making cotton cultivation more sustainable for farming communities and the environment, while also providing opportunities for the global textile sector to incorporate ecologically, economically, and socially sound raw material into their sourcing practices.

Tina Stridde, managing director of Aid by Trade Foundation, said that the collaboration was a collaborative effort that brought greater sustainability to the cotton and textile industries while also helping to protect nature and create economic and social benefits for smallholder farmers and ginnery workers. They value Better Cotton's open sharing of views, ideas, and matters of particular concern. It is evident that both organizations have similar objectives. CmiA has increased in strength in recent years. They look forward to continuing their efforts for sustainable cotton production in a new form.