Levi Strauss and Its Legacy Brands Commit to U.S. Cotton Trust Protocol
July 12, 2021 Levi Strauss & Co. – one of the world’s most recognizable denim companies – and their legacy brands Levi’s, Dockers, Denizen by Levi’s, and Signature by Levi Strauss & Co., are the newest members of the U.S. Cotton Trust Protocol.
More than 90% of Levi Strauss & Co.’s products are cotton-based. The company has committed to sourcing 100% more sustainably grown cotton focusing on decreasing water use, cutting carbon emissions, and reducing fertilizer and pesticide use. This corporate commitment to more sustainable and resilient cotton sourcing is part of a broader internal initiative designed to move the company toward a more sustainable and circular product strategy.
“At Levi Strauss & Co., the quality and sustainability of the cotton we use is critical to our business and important to our customers,” said Jeffrey Hogue, Chief Sustainability Officer, Levi Strauss & Co. “Membership in the U.S. Cotton Trust Protocol will be an important step and a key partnership in our efforts to source 100% more sustainably grown cotton.”
The Trust Protocol will aid Levi Strauss & Co.’s efforts by providing verified data on sustainability practices from U.S. cotton growers and access to aggregate year-over-year data on critical metrics including water use, greenhouse gas emissions, energy use, soil carbon, soil loss and land use efficiency. The company will also participate in the pilot phase of the Protocol Credit Management System, which provides its members with complete supply chain transparency through use of TextileGenesis’ blockchain technology.
“Levi Strauss & Co. is a globally recognized and respected brand, and we are proud to welcome them as members,” said Dr. Gary Adams, president of the U.S. Cotton Trust Protocol. “During the past 35 years, the U.S. cotton industry has made significant progress in reducing our environmental impact, and the Trust Protocol is aligned with the 2025 national goals to further those improvements. As a member, Levi Strauss & Co. will receive farm level data which will help them progress their sustainability efforts and achieve their cotton sourcing goals.”
The Trust Protocol has welcomed more than 450 brand, retailer, mill and manufacturer members since its launch in 2020, including Gap Inc. and its lifestyle brands Old Navy, Gap, Banana Republic and Athleta, as well as global apparel manufacturer Gildan and UK retailers Tesco, Byford and Next Plc. Other Protocol member announcements include the first 10 U.S. mills to join and the first members in Latin America.
The Trust Protocol is aligned with the UN Sustainable Development Goals and recognized by Textile Exchange and Forum for the Future. It is also part of the Sustainable Apparel Coalition, Cotton 2025 Sustainable Cotton Challenge, Cotton 2040, and CottonUP initiatives.
Based on information provided by the U.S. Cotton Trust Protocol
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