Better Cotton wants to help Côte d’Ivoire workers get access to quality healthcare.
The global cotton sustainability initiative launched a two-year pilot project in the West African nation to boost the availability of healthcare in cotton farming communities. The program will build an accessible, community-tailored healthcare offering for an initial 8,000 people in Côte d’Ivoire with the goal of creating a replicable model that can reach marginalized groups around the globe.
“Farmer health and well-being are essential to supporting sustainable agriculture,” said Maria Kjaer, smallholder livelihoods manager at Better Cotton. “We have the opportunity to remove healthcare barriers for farming communities to create a real, positive impact. I’m confident that with the support of a very committed network of partners, we can drive change in Côte d’Ivoire and beyond.”
In Côte d’Ivoire, 46 percent of the population lives below the poverty line, and according to Better Cotton, the country has some of the lowest health metrics in West Africa. This new program aims to not only increase access, but also make care more affordable.
To roll out the initiative, Better Cotton is teaming with SECO—a subsidiary of cotton supplier Olam Agri—and global health enterprise Elucid. The project will make Elucid’s digital healthcare platform available to farming regions in Côte d’Ivoire, connecting farm workers with local accredited healthcare providers. The platform also will allow for secure payments and enable user feedback.
“With this project, we are bringing our healthcare model to cotton farmers by strengthening the capacity of agricultural producer organizations,” said Samuel Knauss, managing director and co-founder of Euclid. “This will ensure that farmers can access essential and emergency care without financial hardship. Building on our success in the cocoa and coffee sectors, we aim to show that investing in healthcare not only improves farmer well-being but also strengthens cotton supply chains and creates lasting impact for communities.”
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Olam Agri, which is a major cotton supplier for the United States, uses its SECO subsidiary to provide training to Côte d’Ivoire farmers in farming methods that help them maximize yields and diversify their incomes.
“At SECO, we are committed to improving the well-being of cotton farmers by pioneering a tailored health insurance model for the sector,” said Jean-François Touré, vice president and managing director, SECO. “This initiative is a crucial step in ensuring they have access to essential healthcare. This project shall serve as a reference for the industry, particularly as Côte d’Ivoire advances the implementation of its Universal Health Coverage program. Through this partnership with Better Cotton and Elucid, we aim to create a lasting, scalable impact for farming communities.”
Over the next two years, Better Cotton and its partners will work with agricultural producer organizations in Côte d’Ivoire to promote local ownership of the platform while streamlining the implementation within communities. The organization said it will track usage and make adjustments to best meet the needs of farm workers.