#Raw Materials

2024-11-01

U.S. Cotton Trust Protocol achieves record growth, reinforcing commitment to sustainable practices and traceability

The U.S. Cotton Trust Protocol, a leading program for responsibly grown cotton, today released its 2023/24 Annual Report, showcasing record grower participation and notable strides in environmental stewardship. The report highlights the program’s progress in driving transparency and continuous improvement across the cotton supply chain, even amidst a challenging economic climate for growers.?

“This year’s report demonstrates the unwavering commitment of U.S. cotton growers to continuous improvement, even in the face of significant challenges,” said Dr. Gary Adams, President of the U.S. Cotton Trust Protocol. “The Trust Protocol is proud to support their efforts by providing the tools, resources, and market opportunities needed to build a more resilient and sustainable future for U.S. Cotton.”?

Key highlights from the 2023/24 Annual Report include:?

+ Record Grower Enrollment: Planted acreage enrolled in the Trust Protocol grew to 2.1 million acres, a 31% increase from the previous year, demonstrating a strong industry commitment to responsible production.?

+ Tangible Environmental Gains: Trust Protocol growers continued to outperform national averages, achieving a 14% improvement in yield and making significant reductions in water use (14%), energy use (27%), greenhouse gas emissions (21%), and soil loss (79%) compared to a 2015 baseline.?

+ Climate Smart Cotton Program Expansion: The program, designed to help growers adopt climate-smart practices, saw growth with 1,427 U.S. farming entities enrolled, including 282 from historically underserved communities.?

+ Traceability Platform Advancements: The Trust Protocol made noteworthy progress in scaling its Protocol Consumption Management Solution (PCMS), recording 1.2k shipments of cotton fiber (equivalent to 3.4 million bales of U.S. Cotton and 636,000 bales of Protocol Cotton).?

+ Enhanced Governance and Collaboration: The Trust Protocol expanded its Board of Directors to include greater international representation and joined the United Nations Fashion and Lifestyle Network, underscoring its commitment to global collaboration.?

“It’s not always easy to take risks when you’re a farmer, especially financial risks,” said Alyssa Cain, a Trust Protocol grower from Texas. “This program gives us the support to try new things, to build a better system for the long haul. That not only provides peace of mind but a farm with healthier soil, cleaner water, a system that works with nature, not against it.” ?

The 2023/24 Annual Report also details the Trust Protocol’s efforts to enhance its data collection and analysis processes, expand its Climate Smart Cotton Program, and strengthen its traceability platform to meet the evolving needs of brands and retailers.?

“This year’s report highlights both the progress our growers have made and the operational improvements within the Trust Protocol,”?said Daren Abney, Executive Director of the U.S. Cotton Trust Protocol.?“We’ve streamlined systems to make participation easier for all and introduced a new consumption-based membership model launching in 2025 to support companies of all sizes in responsible sourcing.”?

The complete U.S. Cotton Trust Protocol 2023/24 Annual Report is available at

https://report.trustuscotton.org/.?

New Cotton Review examines competitiveness, market risk, and opportunities

From moving record volumes of Brazilian cotton to market, to managing price volatility, unlocking Ethiopia’s production potential, and strengthening African textile trade, the latest edition of Cotton: Review of the World Situation examines some of the most consequential opportunities and challenges facing the global cotton industry.

Kraig Labs ships first commercial spider silk yarn

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ALLIED expands down traceability with lot-level carbon footprint data

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Blue Tomato accelerates agile retail apparel production with Kornit Digital

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SANITIZED and RUDOLF join forces to extend textile performance and wearability

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The beauty of imperfection: Officina39 explores denim's next chapters

Officina39 returns to Kingpins Amsterdam on October 14–15, booth White 01, with a creative and technological program that brings together its new Spring/Summer 2028 collection, advances in denim finishing and collaborations spanning design, fabric development, fashion and publishing. At the center of the presentation of the Italian company is a shared idea: that distinctive aesthetics, responsible chemistry and efficient industrial processes can evolve together, opening new creative possibilities for contemporary denim.

Eastman Naia™ brings versatility to Kingpins Amsterdam

Denim continues to evolve, responding to changing consumer expectations for comfort, adaptability and functionality across different styles, occasions and seasons. At Kingpins Amsterdam, taking place October 14–15, Eastman Naia™ highlights how the versatility of Naia™ Renew staple fiber can help manufacturers address different denim needs through thoughtful fiber blending, while preserving the distinctive character of denim.