Creating a sustainable and transparent garment value chain is the need of the hour in Ethiopia.
Initiated by Cotton made in Africa, Solidaridad, Danish Ethical Trading Initiative and MVO Nederland, and supported by EU, the Bottom UP project aims to promote sustainable cotton and create a transparent apparel value chain – from Ethiopian cotton to European consumers.
Boosting Ethiopia–Europe Collaboration
Bottom UP will be officially unveiled at the forthcoming 8th International Conference on Cotton, Textile and Apparel Value Chain in Africa. The project is expected to benefit nearly 2,000 cotton farmers, 2,200 rural workers and 17,000 garment workers.
So, what is Bottom UP aiming at? The core focus of the Bottom UP project is to contribute to a value chain that not only enhances business growth but also improves the working conditions in addition to promoting labour and environmental standards in the cotton and textile industry of both Ethiopia and Europe by the year 2021.
In a press release, Solidaridad Network said that to make Bottom UP achieve its aforementioned objectives, the associate partners will impart training and provide all technical support to cotton farmers and commercial farms.
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Additionally, the partners will facilitate links between Ethiopian garment factories and European brands for the uptake of sustainable cotton. Besides, it will ensure that factories get technical support to adopt sustainable practices. There are also plans to conduct consumer campaign in Europe going forward.
Bottom UP is what Ethiopia’s garment industry needs now, but it remains to be seen how well the strategies get executed.
