Woolworths Supports Organic Cotton in Africa

"CLOTHING and food retailer Woolworths expects about 30 tons of this year's organic cotton needs to be met by a pilot project in Eastern Cape and Limpopo.

The project, a collaboration between Woolworths, the ComMark Trust, Cotton SA and the international Organic Exchange organisation, is running on a number of farms in Eastern Cape and Limpopo, directed by the Agricultural Research Council's Institute for Industrial Crops.

The ComMark Trust, a regional development initiative aimed at reducing poverty, has committed about R1m to aid farmers with start-up costs, and the Organic Exchange will provide technical support for farmers.

Woolworths organic cotton business project manager Emil Grey said there was a need for more technical expertise in organic farming. The retailer had agreed to buy fibre from participating farmers once the cotton had been harvested."

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