The U.S. Cotton Trust Protocol (Trust Protocol) offers unrivaled transparency and visibility of cotton through the supply chain, backed by an unparalleled level of independently verified data from our grower members.
For the Trust Protocol, the second year meant focusing on foundational growth and making innovative decisions in a thoughtful way, reaffirming our commitment to more sustainable cotton production and increased supply chain transparency.
We saw the supply chain positively respond as we doubled the number of acres enrolled in the program , increased mill and manufacturer membership by more than 50%, and successfully completed pilots in our Protocol Consumption Management Solution.
Our commitment to innovation, transparency, and providing measurable, verifiable data will remain at the forefront of our efforts.
- Dr. Gary Adams, President, U.S. Cotton Trust Protocol
THEORY OF CHANGE
Mission
To bring quantifiable and verifiable goals and measurement to the key sustainability metrics of U.S. cotton production.
Vision
To set a new standard in sustainable cotton production where full transparency is a reality and continuous improvement to reduce our environmental footprint is the central goal.
Core Values
A commitment to U.S. cotton’s legacy of authenticity, innovation and excellence, environmental stewardship, caring of people, and personal and corporate integrity.
Cotton acres
enrolled
Brands &
Retailers
Mills &
Manufacturers
(including subsidiaries)
2021/22
BY THE
NUMBERS
In its first year, the U.S. Cotton Trust Protocol welcomed 40 global brands and retailers.
Data Highlights
reduction in
greenhouse gas
emissions
% of growers seeing
positive soil
conservation index
increase in
water use efficiency
reduction in
energy use
reduction In
soil loss
increase in
land use
Our metrics
Timeline
-
November
Inaugural annual report released.
Trust Protocol showcased at Textile Exchange conference.
Claims Framework 1.0 released.
- 2021
-
January
Trust Protocol recognized and published in ITC Standards Map.
Grower Rusty Darby featured in Gildan ‘U.S. Cotton: A Story of Trust’.
- 2022
-
April
Trust Protocol doubles grower participation.
Crew and Trust Protocol participate on panel for Fairchild Media Group’s Sustainability Summit.
Trust Protocol hosts EU Politico Webinar.
Program participates in regenerative agriculture panel at Draper’s Sustainable Fashion Conference.
- 2022
-
June
Recognized as a standard for sustainable cotton by German Federal Government Initiative Siegelklarheit.
Confirmed as ISEAL Community Member.
Trust Protocol participates in the Global Fashion Summit in Copenhagen.
- 2022
-
August
Next PLC becomes first brand in the world to fully track U.S. Cotton into finished products.
Mill and manufacturer members top 800 globally.
- 2021
-
December
Trust Protocol hosts second virtual farm tour for global brands and retailers.
Equipment manufacturer John Deere and Trust Protocol collaborate to launch pilot of streamlined field-level data capture.
Earth with John Holden releases documentary showcasing the Trust Protocol.
- 2022
-
February
Growers able to authorize crop consultants to aid with enrollment and data entry.
Trust Protocol hosts cross-industry supply chain transparency roundtable with Sourcing Journal.
Signed Memorandum of Understanding with International Cotton Association.
- 2022
-
May
Streamlined three-year enrollment for growers implemented.
J. Crew is the first brand to release a line of products entirely made from Protocol Cotton.
- 2022
-
July
Trust Protocol featured in J.Crew and Madewell sustainability reports.
- 2022
- 2021
- 2021
- 2022
- 2022
- 2022
- 2022
- 2022
- 2022
- 2022
-
November
Inaugural annual report released. Trust Protocol showcased at Textile Exchange conference. Claims Framework 1.0 released. -
December
Trust Protocol hosts second virtual farm tour for global brands and retailers. Equipment manufacturer John Deere and Trust Protocol collaborate to launch pilot of streamlined field-level data capture. Earth with John Holden releases documentary showcasing the Trust Protocol. -
January
Trust Protocol recognized and published in ITC Standards Map. Grower Rusty Darby featured in Gildan ‘U.S. Cotton: A Story of Trust’. -
February
Growers able to authorize crop consultants to aid with enrollment and data entry. Trust Protocol hosts cross-industry supply chain transparency roundtable with Sourcing Journal. Signed Memorandum of Understanding with International Cotton Association. -
April
Trust Protocol doubles grower participation. Crew and Trust Protocol participate on panel for Fairchild Media Group’s Sustainability Summit. Trust Protocol hosts EU Politico Webinar. Program participates in regenerative agriculture panel at Draper’s Sustainable Fashion Conference. -
May
Streamlined three-year enrollment for growers implemented. J. Crew is the first brand to release a line of products entirely made from Protocol Cotton. -
June
Recognized as a standard for sustainable cotton by German Federal Government Initiative Siegelklarheit. Confirmed as ISEAL Community Member. Trust Protocol participates in the Global Fashion Summit in Copenhagen. -
-
August
Next PLC becomes first brand in the world to fully track U.S. Cotton into finished products. Mill and manufacturer members top 800 globally.
“I want to learn from my end customers about what they need and how I can deliver a better product.,” said Rusty Darby. “Sustainability has changed significantly in my 57 years and now we are able to document and measure. We improve when we better understand each other’s priorities, changes and commitments.”
As a retailer member, Next PLC is supporting the Trust Protocol’s aim of driving continuous improvement of social and environmental outcomes on U.S. Cotton farms. The program is capturing and reporting key environmental and social data under a farm level, science-based system and reporting those outcomes annually on an aggregated basis.
Article-level Supply Chain Transparency
The Trust Protocol is the world’s first sustainable cotton fiber program to offer unparalleled article-level supply chain transparency through the Protocol Consumption Management Solution (PCMS). The platform was created to record and verify the movement of U.S. Cotton and Protocol Cotton throughout the entire supply chain, starting at the gin and ending at the finished products delivered to brand and retailer members. The PCMS was designed as a ‘fiber forwards’ system, with the ability to capture details of transactions in near real time.
Unlike other solutions available to the textile and apparel industry today, assurance has been built in where the PCMS offers two levels of verification for every transaction captured in the system. The first occurs within the blockchain-enabled inventory ledger that ensures production volumes shipped never exceed the volume of available raw materials in any individual company’s system account. The second ensues on the commercial invoices and shipping documents that each supplier must upload in support of shipments recorded in the system.
In 2021/22 pilots have been completed with nine global brands and retailers and nearly 150 mills, tracking purchase orders as well as individual units.
Trust Protocol grower members provide data on the six key sustainability metrics
Field to Market aggregates and analyzes the data. It is verified by Control Union Certifications North America
At the gin, each bale is verified and the weight is recorded in kilograms into the PCMS
The system continues to track the products right through the brand and retailer
When the brand or retailer receives their product, they have the ability to claim PCCUs through the PCMS
21/22 MAP OF
PARTICIPATION
Setting a new standard in sustainability