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Solidaridad is a network or-
ganization for international co-
operation with ten regional
expertise centres on five conti-
nents dedicated to responsible
food production to feed the
growing world population and
to providing the world with an
alternative to the bio-based
economy. Solidaridad brings to-
L The South African Broad-Based Black and
i ke other rural parts of South Africa
gether supply chain actors
the Makhathini Flats area has different
Economic Empowerment policy, some
development initiatives that are aimed at engage them in innovative solu-
South African retailers' own responsible
tions to improve production,
sourcing initiatives, and the SA Cotton
improving the livelihoods of the people
industry's general realisation that business as
who call this interesting landscape their ensuring the transition to a sus-
usual is detrimental to the existence of many
home. At first glance the main economic tainable and inclusive economy
activities in Makhathini are agriculture, that maximises the benefit for
businesses and jobs along the cotton value
trade and tourism. In agriculture one canay for a concerted effort
chain, have made w
all. Southern African activities
note cotton, sugarcane, livestock and are currently focused on horti-
that giving hope to a sector in decline. The
different value chain
vegetables as the main sources of farming players, from farmers
income. Cotton farming - with its culture, sugar cane, soy, live-
to retailers, with support from government
excellent forward and backward linkages, stock and cotton.
and
nongovernmental
organisations
thanks to the existence of the Makhathini
(NGOs), have established what is now
Cotton Gin as an off-taker - is a good
known as the Sustainable Cotton Cluster
opportunity to provide sustainable as deemed necessary by the SCC platform
(SCC). The SCC is aimed at, inter alia,
income to households in this area. members, while benchmarked against the
strengthening cooperation among value
Better Cotton Initiative (BCI). Solidaridad
chain actors. The SCC leverages resources
Mrs Gumede* is a 56 year-old has been tasked to manage the transition
from different partners to achieve its goals.
smallholder farmer in the Biva location of of the Makhathini farmers as a group
towards this new vision of the SCC.
Similar to the
the Makhathini Flats. She owns 3 external economic factors
hectares of farm land that plays a vital Ongoing activities managed by Solidaridad
labelled as "global", which influence
include training of the farmers, Monitoring
role in providing her a second source ofde of cotton products,
production and tra
income, next to social grants. Mrs and Evaluation (M&E) and development of
the origin of resources to support farmers
Gumede is a widow with 6 children. She continuous improvement frameworks for
like those at Makhathini, is not limited to
has an unpainted 5-roomed cement brick smallholder cotton production, based on
house with a typical Zulu rondavel next the Social, Environmental and Economic
to it. This makes hers one of the better sustainability pillars that are core to BCI's
households in the area in terms of well- principles and criteria.
being. The many farmers (women and
men) of this Northern Kwa-Zulu Natal Now, what does this mean for Mrs
area fall within a broad spectrum: ranging Gumede and the many other smallholder
in age from early 20s to 90s; with total cotton farmers of Makhathini? This means
owned land ranging from less than a that Mrs Gumede has access to training
hectare to well over 10 hectares; and to and support that helps her to meet
those with no formal education, semi- international cotton production
literate to some with tertiary standards. Mrs Gumede can now make
even
Africa.
South
or
Makhathini
qualifications. The list continues, and it is informed cotton production decisions that
Stakeholders beyond South Africa, where
the lower ends of the spectrum, such as neither compromise her health nor that of
cotton like that from Makhathini is likely to
unemployment, that are a cause for her environment - and this does not come
end up, are increasingly making efforts to
concern for any observant passer-by. at an expense of her income because,
ultimately, she will spend less on inputs,
ensure that the cotton (and products
What is common among the many while maintaining the price of her cotton,
thereof) that lands on their shores is
farmers in the area is the subject of this so her profitability will go up.
produced in a manner that is socially,
article; their cotton farming culture and
environmentally and economically sound.
link to the Makhathini Cotton Gin. The The above benefits are not limited to Mrs
One such stakeholder is Solidaridad, an
Gumede: the other farmers in Makhathini
gin offers one of only but a few nearby society organisation that
international civil
can also enjoy similar success. True to
has a history of
formal agricultural markets that the working with smallholder
farmers can readily access. The cotton Solidaridad's Sustainable Landscapes
farmers across the globe, using local and
approach, the benefits of producing
funds.
sector in Makhathini, like the rest of For Makhathini,
international
South Africa and the world at large, is cotton in a sustainable manner reach
Solidaridad has combined funds from the
beyond the farm gate, as common
exposed to external factors, some ofthe Kingdom of The
Government of
resources like water and nature are
Netherlands with
which influence production costs, whilethose of the SCC, to
provide considerable start up support to the
others affect the prices that farmers conserved, farm workers feel valued and
industry-wide initiative to make the SA
receive for their crop. Trade in cotton taken care of, and higher cotton yields
(from lint to garment) has made it easy keep the Makhathini Gin operational. Mrs
Cotton sector sustainable, by focusing on
for the textile industry to access and Gumede and the many other farmers'
about 800 smallholder cotton farmers at
source from the cheapest producers in success, as well as that of the rest of the
Makhathini.
the world, irrespective of which part of SA cotton sector, relies as much on other
the globe such textile value-adding stakeholders (cotton gins, spinners,
Solidaridad's understanding is that the SCC
government, traders, NGOs, etc.) as it
is working towa
players operate. This exposure oftenrds a South African
sustainable cotton standard that appeals to
puts small, less organised farmers like does on each individual smallholder
farmer.
those at Makhathini at a disadvantage as country, with some
the laws of the
they now have to compete with more
additional voluntary principles and criteria,
efficient, large scale producers.
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