The Cotton made in Africa (CmiA) initiative says cotton produced through its programme in 2017 saved around 63bn litres of water.
The saving, compared to the conventional method of growing cotton, is enough to supply more than 1m people in Germany with water or a year. The figures have been released to coincide with World Water Day today (22 March).
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According to CmiA, in many parts of the world cotton is artificially irrigated. On global average, cotton uses more than 2,100 litres of water per kilogram – corresponding to around 500 litres of water per T-shirt.
Cotton made in Africa (CmiA) is different in that it is a sustainable cotton from Africa that is cultivated with the exclusive use of rainwater.
“In conventional farming cotton is sometimes watered heavily,” says Tina Stridde, managing director of the Aid by Trade Foundation. “This can have extreme consequences for our ecosystem and for the availability of water as a vital resource – especially in regions that are already extremely arid. Through rain-fed cultivation, Cotton made in Africa plays a significant role in protecting the environment.”
In order to provide additional support for people in the CmiA cotton growing regions, Cotton made in Africa realises projects to foster the availability of clean drinking water, hygiene measures and sanitary facilities.
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By GlobalDataIn 2016, CmiA became the biggest standard for sustainable cotton from Africa, covering a cultivation area of over 1.1m hectares.
