Otto Group increases sustainable cotton share, reaches 49 percent

As part of its sustainability strategy, the Otto Group has almost doubled its order quantity for sustainable cotton for its own and licensed brands by 22 percentage points to 49 percent of the total cotton volume. Using certified cotton with the "Cotton Made in Africa" (CmiA) label has also saved more than 33 billion liters of water, announced the company yesterday in a press release.

"Cotton cultivation generally requires a high level of water use," explains Andreas Streubig, head of sustainability management at the Otto Group. "CmiA cotton is not irrigated artificially, but is grown exclusively with rainwater. By supporting the Cotton Made in Africa initiative, we not only contribute to sustainably improving the living conditions of the cotton farmers and their families, but also protect one of the world's most valuable resources - water."

Due to the exclusive use of rainwater, approximately 2,100 liters of water per kilogram of cotton are saved when cultivating CmiA cotton. In 2016, the Otto Group bought almost 16,000 metric tons of CmiA-certified cotton, thus contributing to saving more than 33 billion liters of water. With this amount, an entire town or around 750,000 people could be supplied for a whole year.

The goal is to convert the entire order quantity for own and licensed brands to sustainable cotton by 2020, that is organic cotton but mainly cotton certified according to the CmiA standard. In addition, the Otto Group follows the UN Agenda 2030 on Sustainable Development, which includes 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Thus, customers who purchase articles with CmiA label from the Otto Group are actively helping to save water, combat poverty and improve the future of millions of people in Africa.

Cotton made in Africa is an initiative by the Aid by Trade Foundation (AbTF), which was launched in 2005 and helps African cotton farmers help themselves as it promotes sustainable cotton farming in sub-Saharan Africa. The initiative has international partners like Asos, H.I.S., Jack and Jones, the Otto Group and Penny that buy and process the cotton produced by around 670,000 smallholder farmers.

Photo & infographic: CmiA annual report 2015 /Otto Group