Better Cotton, IDH and Cotontchad’s primary goal is to facilitate an open dialogue on the challenges and opportunities for sustainable agriculture within Chad's cotton sector.
The multistakeholder event which took place in Chad’s capital, N’Djamena had multi-stakeholders from the region’s cotton industry such as participants from national ministries, cotton farmer representatives, private sector entities, and civil society organisations.
Cotontchad, which actively supports 200,000 smallholder farmers across the nation, has played a key role in elevating yields.
Through financial assistance and resource allocation, the organisation has contributed to a significant surge in cotton yields, increasing from 17,500 metric tons (MT) in 2019 to more than 145,000 MT in 2022.
Pramit Chanda, global director of textiles and manufacturing at IDH, reaffirmed the initiative’s commitment to supporting the sustainable development of Chad's cotton-growing region: “Supporting Cotontchad alongside Better Cotton will benefit close to 200,000 farmers, strengthening international market linkages.
“This will contribute directly to the broader regional development objectives of the Climate Resilient Cotton Landscape which we are convening in Chad.”
Chanda’s sentiments were echoed by Oliver Renson, chief executive officer at Cotontchad who said: “We are committed to developing the sustainability credentials of Chadian cotton and are aligned with Better Cotton’s aims. This meeting will help establish the next steps required to create the right enabling environment to continue to deliver for the country’s cotton farming communities.”
Alan McClay, chief executive officer at Better Cotton, highlighted the fundamental role of gatherings like this in the success of their operations.
These meetings, he stated, not only foster and strengthen partnerships within the sector and beyond but also “help us learn from like-minded organisations that share our commitment to supporting cotton farming communities.”
