Public-Private Partnerships PPP
Alliance for cotton from Africa
Around 20 million people in Sub-Saharan Africa make a living from cotton. Despite the good quality of the cotton, the smallholders are facing problems resulting from low world market prices, delayed payment and lack of productivity. In addition, the use of agrochemicals jeopardises their health. The alliance ''Cotton made in Africa'' was initiated in 2005 by the Otto Group with the aim of securing the availability of high-quality cotton from Africa on the long run, securing the smallholders' income and improving both productivity and health protection. Moreover, it is intended to form a demand alliance of textile traders and to introduce social, ecologic and economic minimum standards in cotton production. In addition to the Otto Group and DEG, GTZ, the German textile company Tom Tailor, the German Agro Action (Welthungerhilfe), WWF and cotton producers from Africa are committed to the project. DEG supports the initiative with PPP funds and contributes its experience in investments in cotton growing and processing. In this connection, DEG partner companies in Burkina Faso and Zambia intend to carry out pilot projects to introduce minimum standards.
Plant extraction in Egypt
Egypt is one of the world's major suppliers of high-quality pharmaceutical plants. However, the local pharmaceutical industry makes hardly any use of these raw materials. The companies generally use imported extracts instead of utilising the more than 1,000 domestic plant species with pharmaceutical and cosmetic potential.
The German-Egyptian joint venture ATOS has so far also processed extracts for pharmaceuticals imported from Europe. ATOS has now developed a pilot project. In a field trial, plants are cultivated and the most favourable seeding and harvesting times and extraction procedures tested. The DEG-backed PPP project opens up valuable sources of raw materials for the company while contributing to a better utilisation of local resources.
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