Project diary – Story 3

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© Philippe Saner, Reinhart AG

By collaborating with the Swiss weather intelligence and technology company, Meteomatics, Reinhart AG and Alliance Ginneries help smallholder farmers in Tanzania and Zambia adapt to climate change. The goal is to increase organic cotton yields by 15 to 20 percent.

What if you needed a predictable amount of water to plant your cotton, but you rely entirely on natural rainfall as irrigation is not an option? What if for generations you knew the weather patterns by heart, but these patterns have been disrupted by climate change? In Africa, where 7 percent of the world's cotton is grown, smallholder farmers are increasingly struggling to sustain profitable cotton crops using traditional methods. Yet, what if there was a way to increase your yields by 15 to 20 percent by adopting Good Organic Agricultural Practices (GOAP) – if you just had access to the information?

Transmitting reliable information about farming methods and weather information in support of cotton farmers making well-informed decisions is exactly what “Cotton4Impact” is about. The project was initiated in 2021 by Paul Reinhart AG alongside Alliance Ginneries Ltd from Tanzania and Zambia, as well as Ivoire Coton from Côte d'Ivoire. The primary objective is to increase cotton crops over the long term by providing information through an app that can be utilised by advisors of smallholder farmers even in remote areas where farms are scattered.

In November 2024, Reinhart partnered with Meteomatics, a weather intelligence and technology company headquartered in St. Gallen, Switzerland. The company provides meteorological data and precise weather forecasts – exactly the data cotton farmers need to plan their agricultural practices. In collaboration with Alliance Ginneries, Reinhart delivers Meteomatics' tailored weather data to smallholder farmers. Funded by the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ) under the Cotton4Impact initiative, the project aims to touch around 12,000 farmers in Tanzania and 3,500 in Zambia.

Making Weather Data Accessible to Farmers: 99% Forecast Accuracy

During the pilot phase in December 2024, Reinhart and Alliance Ginneries compared Meteomatics’ 10-day precipitation and soil moisture forecasts with on-the-ground observations to assess accuracy. “The results were extremely precise, with rain and cloud cover matching the forecasts by 99 percent,” says Boaz Ogola, Managing Director at Alliance Ginneries Tanzania.

In Zambia, the situation is critical as the region is experiencing a severe drought, and farmers are eagerly waiting for rain. “With this year’s drought, rain forecasts are critical for us in Zambia, as there are narrow windows of opportunity for planting. During the pilot phase, Meteomatics’ data provided invaluable insights into these windows for entire districts,” says John Tembo, Operations Manager at Alliance Ginneries Zambia.

Now that the pilot phase is over, Reinhart will hand over Meteomatics' high-resolution weather data (downscaled to 90 meters) to its local ginner partner Alliance Ginneries. They then can interpret the data and share it with farmers via SMS, ensuring that even those with basic mobile phones can receive the updates. In the future, farmers could even get information on rainfall, temperature, and soil moisture specific to their farms.

These updates will be particularly helpful during the growing season, guiding farmers on the optimal time to plant seeds based on rainfall patterns. By offering practical advice, the project enables farmers to make informed decisions and adapt to changing weather conditions.

“Accessing weather data for entire areas using polygon queries through the Meteomatics Weather API is perfect for this project. It enables us to focus on specific cotton farms in Tanzania and Zambia with an impressive resolution of 90 meters,” says Dr. Matthias Häni, external consultant to the Cotton4Impact project.

Bridging the Gap with Technology

“This initiative demonstrates how technology can bridge gaps for smallholder cotton farmers in remote locations,” says Dr. Philippe Saner, Head Sustainability at Reinhart. “By making reliable weather data accessible and actionable, we’re helping farmers adapt to new challenges and secure better futures.” 

Through this collaboration, Reinhart and Meteomatics aim to make a positive impact on cotton farming in Tanzania and Zambia, proving that technology can support sustainable agriculture and improve livelihoods.

Back to the first story:

The Cotton4Impact project works on tracing the cotton supply chain via the spinning mills and ginning factories right back to the fields of individual farmers. The first story starts in the beginnings and tells you who is involved and why the project was launched in the first place.


Cotton4Impact is funded by the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development within the Sub-Saharan Cotton Initiative and supported by the Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ).