CmiA brings 50 mn textiles to the market in 2016

The Cotton made in Africa (CmiA), the largest label for sustainable cotton from Africa, brought around 50 million CmiA textiles to the market in 2016, increasing its license revenues by 47 per cent in comparison to 2015. It certified 30 per cent of cotton production in sub-Saharan Africa. About 30 textile companies including bonprix and Otto use CmiA cotton.

Since 2016, Jack & Jones from Denmark, Asos from Great Britain, Kid Interior from Norway and Aldi Süd have joined CmiA. About 50 million textiles were marked with the CmiA label in 2016. License revenues for the CmiA label increased by 47 per cent in comparison to the previous year, reaching €1,484,546.

“Every T-shirt and every pair of jeans with the CmiA seal contributes towards combating poverty and thereby counteracting the causes of migration,” said Dr Michael Otto, the founder of CmiA.

CmiA could achieve a consolidated revenue of plus 47 percent in 2016 due to the boost in sales of CmiA certified cotton in the textile production countries. The share of public financial aid in 2016 reached the lowest level of 1 per cent. The result substantiates the motto of the sponsoring organisation – Aid by Trade. Based on its goals, the foundation was able to increase the effectiveness of its contributed funds by a further percentage point in comparison to the previous year, reaching 72 per cent, said CmiA in a press release.

A total of 20 verification operations in 2016 ensured compliance with the CmiA standards and offered helpful guidelines for improvements, alongside the continual trainings. The aggregated data from verification operations in 2016 proves that the implementation of CmiA standards was significantly improved in subsequent verifications. The reviews were carried out by the three independent audit companies, EcoCert, AfriCert and Control Union.