MEMPHIS, Tenn. — April 27, 2020 — The U.S. Cotton Trust Protocol has been added to Textile Exchange’s list of preferred fibers and materials. The Trust Protocol will now be one of 36 fibers and materials that over 170 participating brands and retailers can select from as part of Textile Exchange’s Material Change Index program.
Textile Exchange defines a preferred fiber or material as one which results in improved environmental and/or social sustainability outcomes and impacts in comparison to conventional production. The Trust Protocol will join a portfolio of more sustainable cotton production initiatives including the Better Cotton Initiative (BCI), Cotton Made in Africa (CmiA), Fairtrade Cotton, Organic Cotton, REEL, ISCC, and Recycled Cotton as a preferred cotton fiber.
The master list of preferred fibers and materials evolves over time as sustainability innovations prove themselves. Textile Exchange consults widely with its members and NGO partners to ensure the categories are always reflective of the latest thinking.
“We are pleased to see the U.S. Cotton Trust Protocol recognized on Textile Exchange’s list of preferred fibers and materials,” said Ken Burton, executive director of the U.S. Cotton Trust Protocol. “The U.S. Cotton Trust Protocol is an industry-wide system that will guide U.S. cotton growers to continuously improve and reduce their environmental footprint. We will provide brands and retailers with aggregate data that track the efforts of U.S. cotton growers to improve water and soil conservation and reduce greenhouse gases. These data will support the fashion and retail industries in their efforts to demonstrate progress toward sustainability goals.”
Textile Exchange encourages companies to accelerate their use of preferred fibers, and acknowledges and honors companies that recognize the importance of integrating a preferred fiber and materials strategy into their business practices.
“At Textile Exchange, our mission is to inspire and equip people to accelerate sustainable practices in the textile value chain,” said La Rhea Pepper, managing director of Textile Exchange. “We’re pleased to add Trust Protocol cotton to our list of preferred fiber and materials, which will give brands and retailers another option to source sustainable cotton as they integrate preferred fibers into their business strategy.”
In a period of ever greater supply chain scrutiny and a growing demand for transparency, the U.S. Cotton Trust Protocol will set a standard for more sustainably grown cotton. It brings quantifiable and verifiable goals and measurement to the issue of sustainable cotton production and drives continuous improvement in key sustainability metrics.
The Trust Protocol underpins and verifies U.S. cotton’s progress through sophisticated data collection and independent third-party verification. Becoming a member of the Trust Protocol will give brands and retailers the data that provide critical assurances they need that the cotton fiber element of their supply chain is more sustainable, and free from both environmental and social risk. Brands and retailers will gain access to U.S. cotton with sustainability credentials proven via data tools from Field to Market: The Alliance for Sustainable Agriculture, measured via the Field Calculator and verified with Control Union Certifications.
The U.S. Cotton Trust Protocol is overseen by a multi-stakeholder Board of Directors comprised of representatives from brands and retailers, civil society and independent sustainability experts as well as the cotton-growing industry, including growers, ginners, merchants, wholesalers and cooperatives, mills and cottonseed handlers.
Posted April 27, 2020
Source: U.S. Cotton Trust Protocol
