The Beltwide Cotton Conferences Sustainability Conference included an update on the U.S. Cotton Trust Protocol by new executive director Daren Abney who assumed that position in July 2023.
Abney says membership in the program continues to increase. “We work with the entire cotton supply chain so we take memberships from growers all the way up to retailers and brands,” said Abney. “The first year of the protocol had just over 300 or so growers but as of this season we are now over 970 growers participating.”
The protocol saw an increase of 25% compared to 2022 in the total area of planted cotton acres enrolled in the program, reaching 1.6 million acres in 2023.
Interview with Daren Abney, US Cotton Trust Protocol Executive Director 4:37
Chad Brewer, who worked on the protocol since December 2022, says growers were able to sign up this year for the Climate Smart Cotton Program. “April 25 we began the program and we began staffing up and building out our enrollment interface,” said Brewer. “Of the 978 farmers that enrolled in the U.S. Cotton Trust Protocol, 778 of them submitted applications for the Climate Smart Cotton Program, which far exceeded our milestone for year one.”
The Trust Protocol’s vision is to set a new standard in sustainable cotton production where full transparency is a reality and continuous improvement 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 of people, and personal and corporate integrity. The program currently has more than 1,800 supplier members over 40 companies and brands including global brands and retailers such as Ralph Lauren, Gap, Levi Strauss & Co. and J.Crew.
Interview with Chad Brewer, US Cotton Trust Protocol/NCC 4:26