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Climate Smart Cotton program helps growers invest in sustainability

U.S. cotton producers continue to take steps to become more sustainable and improve their carbon footprint.  Chad Brewer with the U.S. Cotton Trust Protocol says the Climate Smart Cotton program, a five-year initiative, helps growers implement practices to sequester more carbon. “It gives these farmers that make the practice changes an opportunity to enter into this emerging carbon inset market,” he says. “They’ll be able to actually market the carbon that is captured through their practice change.”

He tells Brownfield the overall goal of the program is to reduce CO2 emissions by 1.14 million metric tons.  “But also, it will provide technical and financial assistance to the US cotton farmers to advance the adoption of these Climate Smart Act practices on about 1.2 million cotton acres,” he says.  “Through that, we’re going to make about 4 million bales of climate-smart cotton over the life of this program, which is five years.”

The program will enroll 1,650 cotton farmers, including 330 farmers from historically underserved communities.  Applications are currently being accepted and will be approved on a first-come, first-serve basis.  To be eligible, growers must enroll in the Trust Protocol by September 1, 2023, and upload their 2023 bales by March 1, 2024. Growers can apply for the Climate Smart Cotton Program and enroll in the Trust Protocol at www.TrustUSCotton.org. For a step-by-step video on how to enroll, growers can click here. For assistance email [email protected].  

AUDI: Chad Brewer, US Cotton Trust Protocol