Kamadougou is home to a number of cotton producers who are growing Burkina Faso’s textile industry thanks to their high-quality organic cotton.
Burkina Faso is one of Africa’s major cotton producers and more than half of the country’s total export value is made up of sales from this industry. In recent years, farmers have been shunning conventional farming methods and moving towards organic crops that are free of genetic engineering, insecticides and other harmful chemicals.
I started organic cotton not only for health reasons. It also generates a lot of income compared to the production of conventionally grown cotton,” says farmer Pierre Bangou. “The price of 1kg of organic cotton is much higher than conventional cotton. I also opted for the organic cotton because it is better for the environment and for our health.”
Organic cotton only makes up about 2 percent of the cotton production, but the farmers are seeing the rewards thanks to the premium price that they receive for their produce, thanks in large to the help of local fair-trade organisation FLO.
In the beginning, I started with 1.5 hectares of land. This year I’ve got 3 hectares. People are getting more interested in growing organic cotton because it is healthier for them,” says one of the farmers who has received help from the Swiss NGO Helvetas and the National Union of Cotton Producers in Burkina Faso.
Through these two organisations, the farmers have been taught invaluable lessons on farming and agriculture, not to mention important business skills that have seen them become independent and strong businesspeople in their communities.
It’s very important to train the producers on how to take care of their plants. It’s a plant that should be monitored regularly, especially since the organic production method is applied. So you have to teach them the techniques to monitor the plants, to boost production – it’s difficult,” explains Abel Gouba, a Helvetas assistant.
Through their persistence with the organic production method, the cotton farmers have seen an increased demand for their product in the last few years, and European and American textile manufacturers can’t get enough of the cotton. Their demand has shot through the roof as the organic cotton provides them with better quality material to work with, which in turn means they are providing a better product for their consumers than ever before.
It seems there’s no business like organic farming business.
Kamadougou is home to a number of cotton producers who are growing Burkina Faso’s textile industry thanks to their high-quality organic cotton.
