Our Experience

Ethiopia Assessment of Cotton Cooperatives for the Competitive African Cotton Initiative (COMPACI)

Project Description
The Deutsche Investitions-und Entwicklungsgesellschaft mbH (DEG)-funded project was conducted on behalf of the Competitive African Cotton Initiative (COMPACI). COMPACI promoted the Cotton made in Africa (CmiA) initiative, whose objective is to create global brand recognition for cotton grown in Sub-Saharan Africa.

In Ethiopia, COMPACI facilitated contractual relationships between cotton associations and buyers. The associations were both national and regional, and the buyers were domestic and international. By linking the associations with buyers, COMPACI primed a “pull�? mechanism so that smallholder growers were drawn into the market system.

Project Approach

In conducting the assessment, ASI used two tools: M4 and Constituency Voice Survey. The M4 tool is a participatory survey for assessing capacity and identifying development priorities for cooperatives in membership, management, money, and marketing. The Constituency Voice Survey focuses on perceptions to provide evidence on the health and viability of a cooperative. The survey asks cooperative members their opinions on cooperative performance, relationships with leaders, and impact on their lives and livelihoods.

Impact and Accomplishments
Based on the assessment, ASI prepared recommendations that addressed cooperative capacity building to meet CmiA sourcing standards. These recommendations evolved into a project that will catalyze contracts between the textile industry and national and regional associations, drawing smallholder cotton growers into the larger market system where they have the chance to upgrade, earn higher returns, and participate in building a more viable cotton industry.

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