The textile value chain is known for its high complexity. During the process from raw material to final product, textiles pass through numerous production steps. Rösch provides maximum transparency in its textile value chain with its new sleepwear collection made from 100% Cotton made in Africa (CmiA) cotton that can be traced back to the African cotton growing region.
The company is certified according to the newly adopted Hard Identity Preserved (HIP) standard of the Aid by Trade Foundation (AbTF).
Since the Aid by Trade Foundation set the Hard Identity Preserved (HIP) standard for seamless traceability of CmiA cotton along the textile chain, Rösch will now launch the first collection made from 100% CmiA cotton according to the HIP standard: "By introducing the new Hard Identity Preserved Standard, the Aid by Trade Foundation will make a significant contribution to providing greater transparency throughout the textile value chain.
This is a great achievement for us to be the first company to offer its customers products that can be traced back to the growing area of CmiA cotton in Africa," explains Andreas Söffker, Managing Director of Gerhard Rösch. Christian Barthel, Supply Chain Manager of the Aid by Trade Foundation adds, "We are pleased that Rösch has succeeded in fulfilling the requirements of the Hard Identity Preserved system and launching the first CmiA products certified according to the HIP standard.
These requirements follow our demand for transparency and simultaneously pragmatic feasibility and can thus be used by a wide range of customers."
The requirements of the HIP standard include, among others, separate storage of cotton throughout all production stages of the value chain. Additional requirements for the entire textile value chain have been summarized by the Aid by Trade Foundation in its Chain of Custody (CoC) Guideline and published online.
The Foundation provides its partners with additional support in monitoring the processing of CmiA cotton in the textile value chain through workshops and analysis of commodity flows. Consumers can recognize CmiA HIP products by the corresponding CmiA label.
Social and environmental responsibility in the company and its supply chain is part of the corporate philosophy of Gerhard Rösch GmbH. Since 2013, the family-run textile company from Tübingen, Germany has been a partner of the Cotton made in Africa initiative and supports improving the living conditions of currently 435,000 African smallholder farmers and their family members, including more than 3.2 million people.
Cotton made in Africa
Cotton made in Africa (CmiA) is an initiative of the Aid by Trade Foundation(AbTF) that provides assistance in helping people help themselves through trade, to improve the living conditions of cotton farmers and their families in Sub-Saharan Africa. Currently, approximately 435,000 smallholder farmers in Zambia, Zimbabwe, Mozambique, Malawi, Ghana, and Côte d'Ivoire participate in the CmiA program.
The initiative teaches the cotton farmers through training programs about modern, efficient, and environmentally friendly cultivation methods that will help them improve the quality of their cotton, yield higher crops, and thus earn a better income. An alliance composed of international textile companies established by the foundation purchases the sustainably produced CmiA cotton and pays a licensing fee to the foundation. It is reinvested in the crop regions.
Gerhard Rösch
Since 1949, the Gerhard Rösch GmbH is run as family business, currently in its third generation. Gerhard Rösch GmbH has received numerous awards from both the federal and state governments for its family-friendly staff policy. Gerhard Rösch GmbH is one of the leading German lingerie and swimwear manufacturers whose brands include RÖSCH Creative Culture and FÉRAUD Paris. More than 3,000 customers have trusted the quality fashion made in Germany for over 60 years. In 2012, the company Gerhard Rösch was awarded the "Work and Family Audit" certificate for the second time for its family-friendly employee policies.
