The Aid by Trade Foundation (AbTF) has reported promising outcomes from a recent two-day event that convened political, scientific, business, and civil society leaders to discuss sustainable cotton production strategies in response to the challenges posed by climate change, particularly for small-scale cotton farmers in Africa.
Tina Stridde, Managing Director of AbTF, highlighted the urgent need for sustainable business models that both protect the environment and secure livelihoods. “Climate change is already jeopardising the livelihoods of hundreds of thousands of small-scale farmers, thereby threatening the cultivation of cotton—one of the textile industry’s most vital fibres,” Stridde stated.
On the first day, Stridde participated in the HSC event titled “SMEs: Gamechangers in a Just Transition to Circular and Low-Carbon Economies,” alongside representatives from innovative companies in the Global South. This session aimed to illustrate the pivotal role of small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) and organisations like the AbTF in establishing sustainable and circular economies. Stridde emphasised that AbTF’s standards have fostered a shift in mindset and spurred concrete actions across the global textile industry.
AbTF showcased its “Cotton made in Africa” (CmiA) initiative at the conference, gaining traction within the global textile value chain. Stridde noted an increasing demand for CmiA cotton, driven by its commitment to sustainable production standards. The conference served as a vital platform to underscore the importance of SMEs in promoting circular and low-carbon economies.
The second day featured a workshop titled “Harvesting Opportunities: Leveraging the Value-to-Business Approach for Sustainable Solutions.” Industry leaders, including Torsten Stau, Executive Buying Director Non-Food/Indirect Spend at Rewe Group Buying, Tina Stridde, and Francisco Ferreira dos Santos, CEO of the CmiA-verified San-JFS Cotton Company in Mozambique, discussed the significance of preserving biodiversity and soil quality for the future of cotton production.
The event’s success, characterised by lively discussions and active audience engagement, underscored the critical role of sustainability in the textile sector. Stau remarked on the conference, “The Hamburg Sustainability Conference 2024 was a significant step towards a more sustainable future. The innovative ideas that emerged here inspire hope that we can effectively combat climate change and its impacts.” (1)
