Anvil Knitwear become the first US-based apparel manufacturer to join the Cotton made in Africa (CmiA) initiative. The CmiA initiative is a public-private partnership project to promote sales of sustainably grown cotton from Africa, overseen by the Aid by Trade Foundation, an organization that aims to reduce poverty and promote economic development through market-based incentives.  CmiA is yet another Anvil partnership that aligns with the company's social and environmental priorities, as well as the company's evolving sustainable fiber strategy.

Anthony Corsano, CEO of Anvil Knitwear in New York commented on the new partnership's alignment with Anvil's social and environmental priorities and its evolving sustainable fiber strategy: “Cotton made in Africa is another source of sustainable fiber for Anvil. It is rain fed, utilizes principles of soil conservation and reduced pesticides, and incorporates important ILO labor principles. We also hope our purchases help African cotton farmers improve their living standards.”

Currently, CmiA works in five African countries to help local people help themselves through trade via two initiatives. One supports cotton farmers on-site with training and social projects; the other, continues to build its Demand Alliance of international textile companies that take up sustainably produced cotton and process it further for the global market. CmiA partners include the Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ), the German DEG [investment and development agency], WWF and German Agro Action, as well as over twenty major textile companies.