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Anvil Knitwear joins Cotton made in Africa initiative

NEW YORK, USA: Anvil Knitwear has become the first US-based apparel manufacturer to join the Cotton made in Africa (CmiA) initiative. The CmiA initiative is a public-private partnership project to promote sales of sustainably grown cotton from Africa, overseen by the Aid by Trade Foundation, an organisation that aims to reduce poverty and promote economic development through market-based incentives.

3 Feb 2011

Said Anthony Corsano, CEO of Anvil Knitwear in New York: "Cotton made in Africa is another source of sustainable fibre for Anvil. It is rain fed, utilises principles of soil conservation and reduced pesticides, and incorporates important ILO labour principles. We also hope our purchases help African cotton farmers improve their living standards."

Currently, CmiA works in five African countries to help local people help themselves through trade via two initiatives. One supports cotton farmers on-site with training and social projects; the other, continues to build its Demand Alliance of international textile companies that take up sustainably produced cotton and process it further for the global market. CmiA partners include the Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ), the German DEG [investment and development agency], WWF and German Agro Action, as well as over twenty major textile companies.