Cotton made in Africa Opens Public Consultation for Standard

The Aid by Trade Foundation (AbTF) has launched a public consultation for its Cotton made in Africa (CmiA) standard, giving stakeholders and interested parties 60 days to share feedback. This input will help shape the future of one of the world’s leading standards for sustainable cotton. The upcoming Version 5.0 emphasizes improving the standard’s impact and adapting its criteria to address current challenges, including biodiversity loss and evolving corporate reporting obligations.

The consultation period for the CmiA Standard Vol. 5.0 draft runs from 19 September to 17 November 2025. The revision focuses on three key areas:

1. Precision: Reducing and simplifying indicators for clarity and ease of understanding.
2. Reprioritization of Objectives: Strengthening aspects such as biodiversity, climate resilience, and collaboration between cotton producers and companies through updated or new indicators.
3. Human Rights & Risk Management: Ensuring indicators comply with stricter due diligence and sustainability reporting requirements.

Alexandra Perschau, Head of the Standards & Outreach Department at AbTF, stated:
"Based on the valuable feedback from partners and stakeholders on Version 4.0, we look forward to receiving public responses on Version 5.0. This consultation is a great opportunity to help shape our efforts to support small-scale cotton farmers in Africa, protect biodiversity, and provide companies with sustainable resources to meet their due diligence obligations."

Revision Process
The update began earlier this year, including a two-day workshop in Côte d’Ivoire, incorporating stakeholder input, verification results, monitoring data, and innovations in sustainable cotton cultivation. After evaluating public feedback and consulting the technical advisory group, the AbTF Board of Trustees will review and approve the standard. If approved, Version 5.0 will come into effect in 2026.

How to Participate
Public interest groups can submit online feedback on the draft CmiA Standard Vol. 5.0 from 19 September to 17 November 2025. The draft is available for download online. General feedback can be sent to standards@abt-foundation.org, while detailed input on specific requirements can be submitted using the provided Excel version of the standard.