The U.S. Cotton Trust Protocol announced continued program expansion for the fifth consecutive year – both in enrolled growers and planted acres. Planted cotton acres enrolled increased to 2.1 mn acres, up 31 percent from 2023. This growth is driven by a 35 percent increase in enrolled growers for the 2024 crop year (CY), demonstrating a strong commitment to sustainability within the cotton industry.
“We are proud to see a steady increase in grower enrollment for the Trust Protocol for a fifth consecutive year, reflecting a continued commitment to sustainability within the cotton industry,” said Daren Abney, U.S. Cotton Trust Protocol Executive Director. “It is a collective effort that brings more responsibly produced cotton into the market, providing brands and retailers with greater access to sustainable sourcing options,” Daren Abney added.
With the increase of 35 percent, enrollment for 2024 now totals 1,327 growers participating in the Trust Protocol. Enrolled acres for the 2023 crop year resulted in a yield of 1.9 million bales of cotton. The expanded acreage for 2024 will further enhance the availability of sustainable cotton in the market.
“We look forward to supporting our brand and retailer members in their increased uptake of Trust Protocol Cotton and driving value back to our growers,” said Abney.
The Climate Smart Cotton Program also made strides toward its goal of enrolling at least 1,650 farming entities, including 330 from historically underserved communities. In 2024, 1,340 Trust Protocol farming entities applied for Level 1 of the Climate Smart Cotton Program with 282 from historically underserved communities. These farming entities represent 444,000 acres.
Growers who are participating in Level 1 of the Climate Smart Cotton Program can now also apply for participation in Level 2. This provides the opportunity to receive additional financial risk-share for implementing Climate Smart Practices Changes into their operations that will allow for improved soil health, increased drought and flood resilience, and reduced greenhouse gas emissions.
The Trust Protocol’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 2,000 supplier members and over 40 companies and their brands including Ralph Lauren, Gap Inc., Levi Strauss & Co., Carhartt and J. Crew.
The U.S. Cotton Trust Protocol is a voluntary sustainability program for U.S. cotton growers and a traceability platform for all U.S. cotton. It is the only system that provides quantifiable, verifiable goals and measurements and drives continuous improvement in six key sustainability metrics – land use, soil carbon, water measurement, soil loss, greenhouse gas emissions, and energy efficiency. It is also the world’s first sustainable cotton fiber program to offer article-level supply chain transparency to all members.
