U.S. Cotton Trust Protocol celebrates accomplishments

The U.S. Cotton Trust Protocol, a farm level, science-based program that sets a new standard in more sustainably grown cotton recently celebrated one-year since its official launch. The Trust Protocol brings quantifiable and verifiable goals and measurement to sustainable cotton production and drives continuous improvement in six key sustainability metrics: land use, soil carbon, water management, soil loss, greenhouse gas emissions and energy efficiency.

In its first year, the Trust Protocol welcomed more than 465 brand, retailer, mill and manufacturer members and secured 950,000 bales of cotton into the system. The initiative also launched the Protocol Consumption Management Solution (PCMS) which enables the Trust Protocol to offer transparency and visibility of cotton through the supply chain, backed by independently verified data from growers.

The U.S. Cotton Trust Protocol is aligned with the UN Sustainable Development Goals, recognized by Textile Exchange and Forum for the Future, and part of the Sustainable Apparel Coalition, Cotton 2025 Sustainable Cotton Challenge, Cotton 2040 and Cotton Up initiatives.