The Better Cotton program aims to engage more than 200,000 small cotton farmers in Benin to promote sustainable agricultural practices, improve living standards and help adapt to climate change.
The Interprofessional Cotton Association of Benin (AIC) will serve as a strategic partner, managing both the agricultural and cotton ginning organizations and, more broadly, facilitating relations with industry stakeholders across Benin.
As a strategic partner, the AIC will lead the creation and implementation of an impactful Better Cotton program, driving engagement with the country’s farming communities and other stakeholders.
Lena Staafgard, COO at Better Cotton, believes there is an incredible drive for change on the continent and we will work with new and old partners to leverage that: “As Better Cotton’s presence continues to grow across Africa, so too does movement towards more sustainable cotton production.”
According to Eustache Kotingan, President of AIC, the implementation of this program will help the brave producers strengthen their resilience by introducing more sustainable production practices.
Kotingan noted: “The launch of a Better Cotton program in Benin is a matter of national initiative, supported by the entire cotton sector and managed by the Association Cotton Interprofessional Association (AIC).”
The agreement was formalized at a signing ceremony in Cotonou, Benin, on October 8, where both organizations gathered with stakeholders from across the country’s cotton sector.
Better Cotton highlighted that Benin is Africa’s second largest cotton producer after Mali, with more than 580,000 tonnes of cotton produced and exported in the 2022/2023 season, according to government figures.
The organization runs programs throughout Africa, including Mozambique, Egypt, Mali and Ivory Coast.
Recently, Better Cotton announced it is moving to third-party assessments and certification decisions, which it says complements its existing assurance process by adding a layer of independence and credibility.
“Better Cotton Expands Sustainable Cotton Initiative in West Africa” was originally created and published by Just Style, a brand owned by GlobalData.
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