Remei is satisfied with the business result

Remei, the producer and processor of fair trade organic cotton, has presented its annual report for the 2022/23 financial year, which marks 40 years since the company was first established. As the annual report states, the company recorded substantial sales growth despite the challenging market environment over the course of the reporting period. The company’s performance in the important segment of finished textiles was especially pleasing.

According to the information presented in the annual report, Remei provided purchase guarantees to a total of 5,216 smallholders in India and Tanzania and bought 4,716 tons of organic cotton in the past financial year. From this, 597 tons of organic cotton yarn and 918,663 finished textiles were manufactured and delivered to international trading companies and brands on the basis of a transparent supply chain. In addition to the market price, the producers received premiums amounting to 329,475 Swiss francs.

Remei has identified major potential in the expansion of its B2B partnerships, for example with Coop, one of Switzerland's largest retail and wholesale companies, and the bioRe Foundation. “Unfortunately, smallholders wishing to supply responsibly produced organic cotton are still waiting to be the focal point of a forward-looking debate. As a result, the situation remains fragile for smallholders and suppliers”, comments Beat Bernet, Chairman of the Board of Directors, in his editorial. “In this context, durable alliances continue to be essential”, he adds.

Remei is celebrating its 40th anniversary this year. Ten years after the company was originally founded in 1983, Remei set up the first organic cotton farms in India and Tanzania. In so doing, it entered into direct and participatory cooperation projects with local organic cotton farmers. The company has exclusively focused on organic cotton since 2008, while all textiles along the supply chain have been digitally traceable back to their origin since 2013. ce/ww