Weaving a Better Future for Cotton

By: Daren Abney, Executive Director, U.S. Cotton Trust Protocol

World Cotton Day is a day dedicated to recognizing the significance of cotton in our lives and the world economy. This remarkable natural fiber has been woven into the fabric of our history, culture, and commerce for centuries.

Cotton represents so much more than just a commodity. This natural fabric is a life-changing product worldwide that sustains 32 million growers (almost half of them women) and benefits over 100 million families across 80 countries in 5 continents.

As an industry, U.S. cotton supports roughly 116,000 jobs and creates over $9.6 billion of value added and is the third largest cotton producer in the world. Since 1985, the U.S. cotton industry has recorded a 25% reduction in GHG emissions. And, in line with the U.N. Sustainable Development Goals, the U.S. cotton industry has committed to a science-based target for a further 39% reduction by 2025.

Launched in 2020, the U.S. Cotton Trust Protocol is built on a foundation of robust data capture, aggregation and reporting that drives continuous improvement across six key sustainability metrics – water use, energy efficiency, greenhouse gas emissions, soil conservation, soil carbon and land use – and is the world’s first sustainable cotton fiber program to offer article-level supply chain transparency.

In recent years, scrutiny of the sustainability performance of all sectors of the global economy has intensified as our understanding of climate change has deepened. The Trust Protocol acknowledges this imperative, which is why the initiative was conceived in the belief that the U.S. cotton industry must play its part to invest in the planet, and in a way that is measurable and quantifiable.??

As the Executive Director of the Trust Protocol, my role involves guiding the strategic vision and operation of the program. This includes supporting farmers in combating climate change through evolving agricultural innovation and assisting textile brands and retailers in their drive to deliver more sustainably produced garments. I also work with NGOs and other sustainability initiatives to determine areas of potential collaboration.

During one of my first trips in this role, I was able to visit with growers entering their data for enrollment. While there I heard lots of interest about the Climate Smart Cotton program, which is a 5-year, collaborative pilot to provide technical and financial assistance to 1,650 U.S. cotton farmers (including historically underserved cotton producers). The initiative will build on the four pillars of Climate Smart Agriculture (CSA) practices that support planting cover crops, reduced tillage, and nutrient management. This will allow for improved soil health, increased drought and flood resilience, advanced nutrient use efficiency, decreased soil erosion, and reduced greenhouse gas emissions.

The Climate Smart Cotton Program aims to support to U.S. cotton growers, advance the adoption of (CSA) Practices on 1.2M U.S. cotton acres, produce 4.2M bales of Climate Smart Cotton over five years, and demonstrate 1.14M metric tons of CO2e reductions. For growers, additional benefits include a reduction in input costs, potential yield improvements, and added revenue from carbon insets.

The program also benefits brands and retailers in the global fashion and textile industry by supporting their efforts to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and allowing claims against Scope 3 emissions reductions for cotton used in products.

The Climate Smart?Cotton Program takes our industry to the next step utilizing the Trust Protocol’s foundational reputation and?our program partners’ expertise so that growers can learn, grow and explore new opportunities for reducing climate impacts, as well as resources to aid with implementation.

By implementing the Climate Smart Cotton Program and scaling the Trust Protocol, we are not only celebrating the potential of cotton but actively working toward a more sustainable future, where our collective efforts pave the way for a more environmentally conscious and responsible industry.

On this World Cotton Day, let us celebrate the future of cotton. One that continues to sustain livelihoods, where sustainability is the norm, and where our choices as consumers, businesses, and individuals make a positive impact on the world. Together, we can weave a brighter, more sustainable future—one thread at a time.