Page 12 - TEXtalks International May/June 2022

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US Cotton Trust Protocol

doubles grower participation in

the second year

The US Cotton Trust Protocol announced that grower participation for the 2021/22 crop doubled since
the program’s pilot last year. The Trust Protocol’s mission is to bring quantifiable and verifiable goals
and measurements to the key sustainability metrics of US cotton production. The initiative’s vision is to
set a new standard in sustainable cotton production where full transparency is a reality and continuous
improvement to reduce our environmental footprint is the central goal. The program’s core values
include a commitment to U.S. cotton’s legacy of authenticity, innovation and excellence, environmental
stewardship, caring for people, and personal and corporate integrity.

Virtually all the top 100 global brands and retailers have created lists of sustainable raw materials and
publicly committed that 100% of their sourcing will come from these lists over the next 5-10 years. The
Trust Protocol was designed to meet and exceed the rigorous criteria for these lists. The Trust Protocol
has welcomed more than 600 brand, retailer, mill, and manufacturer members since its launch in 2020.
This includes J.Crew, Madewell, and, as well as global apparel manufacturer Gildan. The US 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. The program has also been recognized and
published in the ITC Standards Map.

Launched in 2020, the U.S. Cotton Trust Protocol was designed to set a new standard in more
sustainably grown cotton, ensuring that it contributes to the protection and preservation of the planet,
using the most sustainable and responsible techniques. It is the only farm-level, science-based
program that provides quantifiable, verifiable goals and measurements in six key sustainability metrics
as well as article-level supply chain transparency. The Trust Protocol is overseen by a multi-stakeholder
Board of Directors comprised of representatives from brands and retailers, civil society, and
independent sustainability experts as well as the cotton-growing industry, including growers, ginners,
merchants, wholesalers and cooperatives, mills, and cottonseed handlers.

By joining the US Cotton Trust Protocol®, members can be sure that they are sourcing responsibly
produced, quality fiber, and reducing environmental and social risk in their field-to-mill supply chain.
The Trust Protocol underpins and verifies US cotton’s sustainability progress through sophisticated
data collection and independent third-party verification. Choosing the Trust Protocol cotton will provide
brands and retailers the critical assurances they need that the cotton fiber element of their supply chain
is more sustainably grown with lower environmental and social risk.

May/June 2022