Partners:  Bangladesh Cotton Development Board, Government of Bangladesh: Waste Concern – Baraka Agro Products, Bangladesh, and a social business enterprise: Waste Concern, Bangladesh, a not for profit research organization: People Tree UK, a social business enterprise: Mohipur Agriculture Training Institute (MATI), Bogra, Bangladesh:

Description of work: Waste Concern, for the first time in Bangladesh took an initiative to promote sustainable organic cotton production and marketing in Bangladesh with minimum green house gas emission. Using the concept of public-private partnership, Waste Concern brought Cotton Development Board of the Government of Bangladesh along with a number of national and international (both private and research bodies) organizations to a common platform to start organic cotton production.

In order to test the feasibility of growing organic cotton commercially in Bangladesh, a pilot project has been initiated. The project will be implemented using public-private partnership approach. The basis of partnership is that “all the risks and benefits of the project will be shared by all the partners”. The roles and responsibilities of the project partners are as follows:

Location: Bangladesh

Description of work:

• Bangladesh Cotton Development Board, Government of Bangladesh: They will provide land, good quality cotton seed as well as required manpower for the pilot project. They will also monitor results of the crop yield during the period.
• Waste Concern – Baraka Agro Products, Bangladesh, and a social business enterprise: They will partially bear the cost of the pilot project and will invest in commercial production using Fair Trade Standards and contract farming approach.
• Waste Concern, Bangladesh, a not for profit research organization:They will provide compost to the pilot project; also develop a CDM project and bring carbon investors for the project.
• People Tree UK, a social business enterprise:They will provide technical assistance in growing organic cotton by providing/arranging training and will ensure purchasing the cotton products at a premium price under an exclusive agreement with Waste Concern-Baraka Agro Products. They will also assist in implementing Fair Trade standards in cotton production.
• Mohipur Agriculture Training Institute (MATI), Bogra, Bangladesh:Mohipur Agriculture Training Institute (MATI) founded in 1996 at Mohipur, under Sherpur Upazilla, Bogra. The Institute is also linked with farmer’s community and other organizations under its Farmers’ support Service and Research and Development Division.

Period: August 2007 to August 2008