Cotton made in Africa® (CmiA) has been awarded the top grade “Excellent” by the German sustainability label assessment platform “Siegelklarheit”. This rating recognizes CmiA for its performance in credibility, environmental, and social standards, positioning the standard among the best-rated seals available on the market. The grading was carried out by Siegelklarheit, based on a professionally reviewed evaluation system.
The current assessment of CmiA took place as part of a comprehensive update of the Siegelklarheit evaluation system. The information platform, which has been reviewing sustainability labels for consumers since 2015, has expanded its rating scale from two to five levels, and published its assessment today. The aim of this revision is to differentiate more clearly between various sustainability labels, offering consumers even more informative and reliable guidance. Since labels have varying requirements for credibility, environmental, and/or social issues, this step was intended to make the portal even more consumer-friendly and informative. The result of the re-evaluation is clear: Cotton made in Africa receives the top grade “Excellent” and thus proves itself to be a credible standard.
The evaluation of Cotton made in Africa was based on the “Sustainability Standards Comparison Tool” (SSCT). According to SSCT, CmiA meets 100 percent of all minimum criteria regarding credibility and social compatibility, and achieves 88 percent in the environmental category. SSCT is a methodical approach for assessing and comparing sustainability labels. Over 200 national and international experts from federal institutions, standard organizations, science, business, and civil society were involved in its development, including the International Trade Centre (ITC), ISEAL Alliance and the Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) GmbH. International agreements, such as those of the International Labour Organization (ILO), serve as a fundamental basis for the evaluation.
The “Siegelklarheit” information platform is operated by Verbraucherzentrale NRW (Consumer Association of North Rhine-Westphalia), funded by the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ), and supported by the Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) GmbH. In the past, the CmiA standard had already been awarded the rating “Very good choice”.
