At the Cotton Sourcing USA Summit, Mr Ted Schneider,President Cotton Council International introduced US Cotton Trust Protocol. The new data collection, measurement and verification procedure has been launched in a bid to document US cotton production practices and their environmental impact. The data will benchmark farmer gains towards the industry’s sustainability goals of 2025 as well as provide the global textile supply chain additional assurances that the cotton is produced in a responsible manner.
A pilot plan will be launched in 2019 which will be fully implemented on 2020 cotton crop.
Practicing growers will have to adopt data tools that allow quantitative measurement of sustainability metrics like FieldPrint Platform and Field to Market along with a self-assessment check list.
Mr Ted Schneider said, “I would argue that US cotton is already among the most sustainably produced in the world. We know that US cotton growers continue to embrace new technologies and management techniques that reduce impact and increase yield, but today’s textile industry needs more than just our word. The trust protocol is meant to address that need with a tangible and transparent snapshot of US cotton growing practices and the gains resulting from them.”
During the Summit, 400 participants were also updated on how the US cotton industry intends to meet its 2025 sustainability goals.
The 2025 sustainability goals are as follows:
-13pc increase in productivity that is reduced land user per pound of fiber
-18pc increase in irrigation efficiency
-39pc reduction in greenhouse gas emissions
-15pc reduction in energy expenditures
-50pc reduction in soil loss
-30pc increase in soil carbon
