COTTON
Harvesting in Pretoria

Following the compulsory dissolution of the Cotton Board at the end of 1997 in terms of the Marketing of Agricultural products Act, 1996, all roleplayers in the cotton industry decided to form a company incorporated under section 21 of the Companies Act, 1973, namely COTTON SA in order to continue the following essential functions.
Small scale cotton farmer development.
The stimulation of production and the usage of cotton.

All parts of the cotton plant are useful, the most important being the fibre or lint, which is used to make yarn for cotton cloth. Unlike fossil based fibres, cotton is sustainable, renewable, biodegradable, and carbon neutral and can be used without depleting or damaging the environment, thus making it an excellent choice as an environmentally-friendly fibre throughout its entire product life cycle. Cotton South Africa is a non-profit organisation that brings together both private and public sector organisations involved in the entire cotton industry value chain, including producers, organised labour, consumer organisations and service providers, to stabilise employment and improve overall competitiveness in the cotton industry. Designed to raise the bar in the quality testing arena, the aim of the scheme is to establish an approved list of laboratories worldwide that meet a standard level of quality assurance. We provide an industry forum for the whole cotton value chain, information, advise government and promote the development of cotton farmers all over the country. We co-ordinate all quality control processes, from grading and classification, compiling standards, testing and contamination prevention. We provide training on all aspects of the cotton production process to ensure uniformity in grading and classification standards. We run various programmes to constantly promote and develop the cotton industry in South Africa, such as the Smallholder Farmers Skills Development Programme, designed specifically to support smallholder cotton farmers and the Cotton Certification Scheme regulating the use of the Cotton Trade Mark. Small-holder farmers have an important part to play in building a sustainable future for the cotton industry. We provide training and support in a programme that has already delivered notable success. Over the years, their contribution to the cotton sector has grown significantly. The Sustainable Cotton Cluster programme brings together the entire cotton value chain, including the public sector, organised labour, consumer organisations, service providers and dedicated cluster management.