Cargill Withdraw from Cotton Sector in Zimbabwe

24.10.2014

Aid by Trade Foundation’s Local Partner Focuses on the Production of Food Crops

Cargill Zimbabwe, a local partner of the Aid by Trade Foundation (AbTF) and its Cotton made in Africa (CmiA) initiative in the Southeast African country, withdraw from the cotton sector of Zimbabwe with immediate effect. The company will fully dedicate its work to the production of food crops.

Since the initiation of the partnership in late 2011, Cargill and CmiA have made major achievements in Zimbabwe as participating smallholder farmers are increasingly implementing social and environmentally friendly practices in farming. Now the company will stop its activities in the ​​cotton sector in Zimbabwe for economic reasons. The Aid by Trade Foundation will not withdraw from the country though, and continue to support participating cotton farmers and their families in improving their living conditions through its existing cooperation with the cotton company Alliance.

Cotton is considered as one of the three main important export goods. Its production lies almost entirely in the hands of smallholder farmers. Zimbabwe is still one of the poorest countries in the world. Life expectancy is almost 53 years. It ranks 172 out of 187 on the Human Development Index.

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