Cotton made in Africa celebrates tenth anniversary

In 2005, businessman Michael Otto of the German Otto Group launched the Cotton made in Africa initiative as well as the supporting organisation Aid by Trade Foundation (then called Sustainable Agriculture and Forestry, which was renamed in 2007). Together with state sector partners like DEG and GIZ, NGOs like the WWF and Welthungerhilfe and two textile companies, the initiative started in three African countries (Benin, Burkina Faso and Zambia) with 150,000 smallholder farmers.