Reflecting on a year of progress and innovation at U.S. Cotton Trust Protocol

  • Daren Abney, Executive Director, U.S. Cotton Trust Protocol

As I reflect on my first year as the Executive Director of the U.S. Cotton Trust Protocol, I am filled with immense pride and gratitude for the progress we have made together. Our collective efforts have propelled us toward a more sustainable future for the cotton industry, marked by notable milestones.

A key highlight from our latest annual report is the progress in tracking essential sustainability metrics using our advanced data capture system. Despite challenging growing conditions, the 2022-23 crop year demonstrated continued improvements across critical areas, including land use, soil carbon, water management, soil loss, greenhouse gas emissions, and energy efficiency—all compared to a 2015 baseline. These advancements have been largely driven by the adoption of sustainable growing techniques, such as regenerative agriculture practices.

Reflecting on a year of progress and innovation at U.S. Cotton Trust Protocol
Figure: Trust Protocol Board of Directors Annual Meeting, July 2024 at WWF in Washington D.C.

To further enhance our commitment to data accuracy and to ease the process for our growers, we streamlined the grower data reporting and collection process. We transitioned to a three-year enrollment process, allowing growers to complete all necessary requirements in a single sitting and upload bales using the previous year’s field data. This change ensures timely, high-quality data with annual updates on practices, yield, and inputs, reinforcing our commitment to transparency.

Building on these efforts, the Trust Protocol launched Version 2.0 of the Principles and Criteria and introduced the updated Grower Enrollment Questionnaire. This revision was designed to provide more clarity on the program’s overall structure and address ongoing areas of interest, specifically focusing on optimizing farm inputs and chemical management. We believe these changes will positively impact our sustainability goals, particularly in key environmental metrics such as soil health and GHG emissions.

We opened the revised versions to public stakeholder consultation, an essential step in ensuring the quality and effectiveness of the program. This collaborative process helps guarantee that the questionnaire remains usable, accurate, transparent, and provides valuable insights with year-on-year comparability.

Another major milestone was the progress of the Climate Smart Cotton Program in its inaugural year. A total of 1,340 farming entities, including 282 from historically underserved communities, applied for Level 1 participation, representing 444,000 acres committed to climate-smart practices. Moving forward, growers can now advance to Level 2, which offers additional financial risk-sharing opportunities.

We also celebrated the U.S. Cotton Trust Protocol's fifth consecutive year of expansion. For the 2024 crop year, we enrolled 2.1 million planted acres—a 31% increase from 2023—and saw a 35% rise in grower enrollment. This growth underscores the cotton industry’s strong commitment to sustainability, with greater volume of responsibly produced cotton for brands and retailers to source.

Since joining the Trust Protocol in August 2023, we have welcomed several new brand and retailer members, strengthening their commitment to sustainability and transparency in the cotton supply chain. Notably, Macy’s, Inc joined in September, followed by Kiabi in October, and most recently, Carhartt, Inc., each aiming to enhance sustainable sourcing and supply chain transparency. We also completed a project with the Amazon Climate Pledge Friendly program, allowing customers to shop Levi’s jeans featuring the Trust Protocol.

In May, we expanded our Board of Directors from 16 to 22 members, a strategic move to provide greater representation to international stakeholders and the entire supply chain. The new board includes four growers from different U.S. cotton-growing regions, as well as representatives from gins and cottonseed producers, merchants and cooperatives, mills and manufacturers, NGOs and academia, and brand and retailer members.

As we look ahead, I am excited about the opportunities that await us and eager to share our 5-year strategic plan. The achievements of this past year are a testament to the hard work and dedication of our growers, partners, the Trust Protocol Team, and many other stakeholders. Together, we’re advancing a more sustainable cotton industry, setting the stage for a better future.

Thank you for being part of this journey. I look forward to continuing our work together to create impact, measure outcomes, and drive innovation, all while assuring trust in U.S. Cotton.