Project diary – Story 4

What tangible improvements has the GIZ-supported Cotton4Impact project achieved? The experiences of more than 1,200 cotton producers highlight not only successes, but also the challenges still to overcome. Their feedback offers valuable guidance for strengthening cooperation across the cotton supply chain.

If you want to understand what a project has truly achieved, you have to listen. Not just to a few voices, but to as many as possible. That’s exactly what the GIZ-supported Cotton4Impact project set out to do: to understand whether it had made a meaningful difference in the lives of participating farmers.

Launched in 2021 by Paul Reinhart AG, the project was developed in collaboration with the ginning factories Alliance Ginneries Ltd in Tanzania and Zambia, and Ivoire Coton in Côte d'Ivoire. 

Cotton4Impact is part of the Sub-Saharan Cotton Initiative (SSCI), which is managed by GIZ on behalf of the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ). Paul Reinhart AG applied for SSCI funding – and the opportunity to work with GIZ as a reliable partner to make the cotton and textile supply chains in sub-Saharan Africa more sustainable.

From the outset, Cotton4Impact took a data-drive approach. It examined demographic data from around 100,000 small-scale cotton producers – a first in the three participating countries and a crucial foundation for understanding long-term impact. To assess this impact, Paul Reinhart AG commissioned global impact measurement company 60 Decibels to conduct a representative survey.

Ginning factories in Tanzania, Zambia and Côte d'Ivoire provided contact lists, from which more than 1,200 producers were randomly selected to share their views. The survey explored core project outcomes, farmers‘ perceptions of progress, and opportunities to further strengthen the initiative.

"Thanks to Ivoire Coton, I was able to build a house," says a farmer from Côte d'Ivoire who has worked with the ginning factory for several years. In that time, he‘s learned about climate-adapted cotton cultivation and the use of the latest weather data. "I now earn enough money from cotton. I was able to buy oxen and send my children to school."

He’s not alone. 88% of respondents said their income has increased as a result of working with their respective ginning factory. For 70%, the services offered by the ginning factories were their first ever opportunity to access such services and training. Other services had not been available to them before, which underlines the importance of the support provided by Cotton4Impact .

"The ginning factory has really supported me a lot," says a 36-year-old farmer. "Thanks to the advice I received and the higher market prices I was able to sell my cotton for, I had enough money to buy my own farm. Now I can secure my livelihood."

Most farmers shared this sense of progress. Nine in ten said their quality of life had improved because of their ginnery — and nearly half described this improvement as “very significant.” However, the drivers of impact varied across countries.

For example, in Côte d'Ivoire, it was primarily the higher sales volume that formed the basis for a better quality of life. Better cultivation methods and reliable purchase quantities have enabled producers in this West African country to sell more cotton. 

In Tanzania, it was higher prices that made the biggest difference: producers sold the same amount of cotton for more money. And in Zambia, more efficient farming methods led to a reduction in production costs, giving farmers more financial leeway. 

That flexibility is already making a difference. A 60-year-old farmer explained: "I was able to sell my cotton to the ginning factory. With the money, I bought a piece of land and enough livestock to secure my livelihood."

When you ask 1,200 people for honest feedback, you won’t only hear praise. In all three countries, farmers also reported recurring challenges in their collaboration with ginning companies. The most common issues were late or insufficient deliveries of seeds and pesticides, which were often considered too expensive. Some producers also cited a lack of financial resources to apply what they had learned in training sessions.

But understanding what works — and what doesn’t — is exactly how progress happens. These findings provide a strong foundation for improving future collaboration between ginneries and farmers. They offer an opportunity to refine the details, strengthen coordination, and build deeper partnerships that benefit everyone involved.

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).