U.S. Cotton Trust Protocol®

The U.S. Cotton Trust Protocol® sets a new standard for sustainably grown cotton. It brings quantifiable and verifiable goals and measurement to sustainable cotton production and drives continuous improvement in six key sustainability metrics.

Its mission is to bring quantifiable and verifiable goals measurements to key sustainability metrics of U.S. cotton production with a vision where transparency is a reality and continuous improvement to reduce environmental footprint is the central goal. The 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. The Trust Protocol will provide U.S. cotton’s customers the confidence that they are sourcing, spinning and selling sustainably-produced U.S. cotton. Through the collection of robust data, the Trust Protocol will remove risk by giving U.S. cotton’s customers the evidence they need to demonstrate progress toward the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals and other sustainability pledges – making the Trust Protocol the right choice for today and tomorrow. The U.S. Cotton Trust Protocol is aligned with the UN Sustainable Development Goals and recognized on Textile Exchange’s list of preferred fibers and materials and as part of its 2025 Sustainable Cotton Challenge. The Trust Protocol is also acknowledged by Forum for the Future and is part of the Sustainable Apparel Coalition, Cotton 2040 and Cotton Up initiatives. The initiative has also been recognized and published in the standard mapping process by the International Trade Centre.