To grow cotton in a sustainable environment, ever since their enrollment became available six months ago. The U.S. Cotton Trust Protocol has taken an initiative and have enrolled more than 300 brand, retailer, mill and manufacturer members such as Gap Inc. and its purpose-led lifestyle brands Old Navy, Gap, Banana Republic and Athleta as well as UK retailers Next Plc. and Byford etc. The Trust Protocol also has welcomed the first U.S. mills, the first members in Latin America, and Advance Denim, one of China’s top three denim manufacturers.
“Sustainability and transparency are becoming more important in the fashion industry,” said Dr. Gary Adams, president of the U.S. Cotton Trust Protocol. “Consumers expect and are calling for reduction in companies’ environmental footprint and the Trust Protocol will provide the data that enables them to tell their sustainability story.”
To grow cotton with a moral responsibility, the Trust Protocol system has enacted six areas of sustainability that follows the guidelines of the U.N. Sustainability Development Goals. The journey of all cotton can be tracked through sophisticated data collection and independent third-party verification, enabling members to better track the cotton entering their supply chain. Members also will have access to aggregate year-over-year data on water use, greenhouse gas emissions, energy use, soil carbon and land use efficiency.
“The Trust Protocol is a complement to other sustainability initiatives and was designed to fit the unique growing environment in the United States,” continued Adams. “By joining, these more than 300 members will have the critical assurances needed to verify that the cotton fiber element of their supply chain is more sustainably grown.”
