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Making U.S. cotton the fiber of choice

The US Cotton Trust Protocol is working to ensure US cotton is at the top of the list for companies sourcing sustainable cotton.

Gary Adams is the president and CEO of the National Cotton Council.  “To remain competitive and to remain a fiber of choice, in this environment, we have to be able to demonstrate our sustainability credentials to the brands and retailers,” he says.  “And we believe the trust protocol gives us the vehicle to do that.”

The program uses six key sustainability metrics – land use, soil carbon, water management, soil loss, greenhouse gas emissions, and energy efficiency.

He tells Brownfield producers are asked to share data through the Trust Protocol’s platform.  However, he says, that data is kept confidential.  “When we report data out of the program to those brands and retailers, it’s reported out in an aggregate manner, he says.” “We are not sharing any individual growers’ data.”

In its first year, the Trust Protocol secured 950,000 bales of cotton into its system and has added more than 465 brand, retailer, mill, and manufacturer members.

The Trust Protocol was launched in the summer of 2020 and is a voluntary program for US cotton producers. 

AUDIO: Dr. Gary Adams, US Cotton Trust Protocol