Sub Saharan Cotton Initiative (SSCI): Growing Benin’s Organic Cotton Sector

The IDPP project was implemented by Pesticide Action Network UK (GRANT), the Aid by Trade Foundation, Paul Reinhart, and local partners. The main objectives of the project were to deliver substantial economic, social, and environmental benefits to a growing number of smallholder cotton farmers in Benin by supporting them to convert to organic production, and to secure the future of organic cotton in Benin by attracting ongoing investment from supply chain actors.The project contributed to increasing Benin’s high-quality organic cotton production, from which nearly 9,000 smallholder producers benefited. Through organic cotton production, they were able to increase their income from cotton by 60% and to improve the resilience and productivity of their farms.The project also contributed to building transparency and commitment in the supply chain to better protect producers from market shocks.