MOU: Ministry of Textiles and GIZ

MOU: Ministry of Textiles and GIZ

Part of: GS-Prelims and Mains GS-II: International Relations

In News: An MOU was signed between Deutsche Gesellschaft fur Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) and the Ministry of Textiles Govt. of India  on Implementation Agreement of Indo German Technical Cooperation Project on ‘Sustainability and Value Added  in the Cotton Economy’. 

• The objective of the project is `to increase the value addition from sustainable cotton production in India by focusing on sustainable cotton, and strengthening of downstream processing’. 
• It is focussing on 4 majorly cotton producing states- Maharashtra, Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh and Tamil Nadu 
• Follows “From shelf to field” approach, with the strategy to link consumers to the cotton growers in India and work along the entire supply chain. 
• To create the “pull” factor for improved market access by the farmers for their sustainably grown cotton – promotion of sustainable cotton cultivation methods emphasizing on implementation of good agriculture practices.
• Focusing on creation and promotion of transparency about the prevalence and application of internationally recognized/accepted sustainability standards and promoting measures that reduce the water footprint in cotton production. This will help reduce vulnerability of cotton sector to ever-increasing water-stress worsened by climate vagaries.

GIZ project is aimed at  

• Increasing volume of cotton production at least on 90,000 hac 
• Participation of 1.50 lakh cotton farmers with yield increase by 10%
• This will enable capacity building of the 1.50 lakh farmers& entrepreneurs of which about 30% will be women beneficiaries.

India is the largest cotton producer in the world and also the 2nd largest consumer of cotton in the world with estimated consumption of 303 lakh bales (5.15 Million Metric Tones i.e. 20% of world cotton consumption of 1505 lakh bales (25.59 Million Metric Tones). It plays a major role in sustaining the livelihood of an estimated 6 Million cotton farmers and about 50 Million people engaged in related activity such as cotton processing & trade.

News Source: PIB