The non-profit Aid by Trade Foundation (AbTF) announced on Human Rights Day, December 10, that a revised version of its Cotton made in Africa (CmiA) sustainability standard will take effect in 2026, setting higher requirements for human rights due diligence and risk management across the African cotton supply chain. The update reaffirms CmiA’s longstanding focus on respect for human rights while integrating more rigorous monitoring, reporting and corrective action obligations for verified suppliers in Benin, Burkina Faso, Chad and Mali, where the standard is widely applied.
Under the new standard, farm and ginnery level training and related activities must be inclusive and accessible to all participants, with programme design tailored to promote the participation of women, youth and vulnerable groups and address their specific needs. AbTF stated these enhancements are intended to provide fashion brands and textile companies that source CmiA cotton with greater assurance of ethical and environmentally responsible production practices.
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The standard revision reflects AbTF’s efforts to align sustainability criteria more closely with international human rights and environmental expectations. The updated criteria include strengthened human rights language, community engagement provisions, due diligence requirements and clearer risk assessment and reporting guidelines.
The announcement comes amid broader economic and social tensions in parts of West and Central Africa, including recent political unrest in Benin’s cotton-producing regions. AbTF’s move signals a push to reinforce ethical supply chains at a time when global scrutiny of cotton sector labour practices and environmental impacts continues to grow.
