The AID by Trade Foundation (ABTF), known for cotton standards such as Cotton Made in Africa (CMIA) and Cotton Made in Africa Organic, announced the introduction of its new transparency standard in the first quarter of 2025 on Tuesday. It was only in November last year that the foundation of the transparency initiative Make the Label Count, founded a good three years ago, joined ensuring that the labeling of clothing was transparent.
The new ABTF Transparency Standard is intended to ensure the transparency, security and reliability to the use and traceability of sustainable cotton according to the CMIA standard and the regenerative Cotton Standard (RCS) and includes the entire textile supply chain worldwide-from the growing area of cotton to the finished product .
It is checked regularly by independent auditor: inside and exacerbates existing tracking systems for traceability of sustainable cotton in the supply chain. The data entered in the tracking system and associated documents such as production reports and delivery notes are checked in the tracking system.
Tracking of CMIA and RCS cotton along the supply chain
The digital transaction documents (DTDS) are also important, which are used to trace the CMIA and RCS cotton along the supply chain and are regularly validated by independent auditor: they are decisive in the inside, as they are decisive to prove the use of CMIA and RCS-verified cotton simplify. “Even an unspoken step, such as a lack of data input in the supply chain, means that the DTD can no longer be created and there is no evidence of the origin of the cotton used in the product. The DTDs thus represent additional control in the system, ”said the AID by Trade Foundation in a message.
“The ABTF Transparency Standard sets a new benchmark for reliability and traceability in the textile industry,” comments Gerlind Bäz, Senior Project Manager of the AID by Foundation. It is also responsible for implementing the CMIA and RCS-verified cotton in supply chains worldwide.
“While brands and retailers can already rely on our in 2018-established tracking system that controls whether only CMIA or RCS-verified cotton have been processed, fabrics and textiles, we are now going one step further. In the future, independent auditor will check: Inside, regularly whether the transparency requirements of the new standard will be reliably observed in the supply chain, ”adds Bäz.
“With the new standard, as a global dealer, we benefit from increased security and reliability when using and applying Cotton Made in Africa cotton. An important component of our diligent duties in the supply chain, ”explains Tobias Wollermann, Vice President Corporate Responsibility of the Otto Group.
The ABTF Transparency Standard also includes regular questionnaires for self-assessment for all levels of the supply chain and onboarding audits for spinning mills, which are also carried out by independent test companies on site.
“With its new transparency standard, the AID by Trade Foundation provides solutions for these challenges that textile companies and brands have to put up with the increased political and social requirements at an international level,” summarizes ABTF managing director Tina Stridde.