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Burkina Faso, one of Africa’s leading cotton producers, is steadily emerging as a regional hub for organic cotton. This shift is largely driven by the commitment of the National Union of Cotton Producers of Burkina Faso (UNPCB).
In recent years, the organization has joined forces with the ACP Business-Friendly Programme and together, they are creating new opportunities for smallholder farmers and promoting a more sustainable, inclusive agricultural model.
Established in 1998, UNPCB brings together all of the country’s Organic Cotton Producers’ Groups (GPCs). Its primary mission is to improve the living standards of Burkina Faso’s cotton growers by facilitating access to farm inputs and equipment, strengthening credit management, and supporting productivity growth.
With thousands of farms and millions of indirect beneficiaries, UNPCB operates through a structured network: from village-level groups to national unions, providing vital technical, logistical, and financial support to its members.
On the national market, UNPCB supplies spinning and weaving units, while internationally, demand for organic cotton is growing, offering Burkinabe producers better income prospects.
Since 2021, UNPCB has been operating under the EU-ACP Business-Friendly Programme, building on previous partnerships aimed at strengthening Burkina Faso’s cotton sector as a whole.
This collaboration initially focused on improving the livelihoods of cotton-growing communities through the project “Creating Alternative Income-Generating Activities for Communities Living Around the W-Arly-Pendjari Complex,” which achieved strong early results. These efforts helped enhance productivity and incomes among cotton producers (both conventional and organic) and laid the groundwork for the launch of the organic cotton programme in 2024, marking a new step toward a more sustainable and diversified cotton industry.
Launched in May 2024, the second phase of the project is consolidating these gains and expanding their reach. It has already enabled training on the EFI business model and the integration of specific market needs with cooperatives in Houndé as well as community mobilization sessions in several localities and training of 267 producers on organic and fair-trade certification standards and on sustainable soil fertility management.
Looking ahead, the project plans to support the formal registration of producer groups, provide new equipment, and deliver advanced technical training on composting and innovative techniques such as Biochar and Bokashi. Future activities will also focus on integrated pest management, improving the quality of organic seed cotton, and adapting to the latest European organic production standards.
The collaboration between UNPCB and the ACP programme demonstrates how strategic partnerships and capacity building can transform agricultural value chains. Beyond the economic gains, organic cotton represents a broader commitment – to environmental stewardship, sustainable livelihoods, and social inclusion across rural Burkina Faso.
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The Ethical Fashion Initiative is a programme of the International Trade Centre, a joint agency of the United Nations and the World Trade Organization.
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