Trust Protocol Enrolled Acres Up 25% in 2023
October 25, 2023 The U.S. Cotton Trust Protocol says the total area of planted cotton acres enrolled in the program reached 1.6 million acres in 2023 – a 25% increase compared to 2022.
This represents not only impressive growth in enrolled cotton acreage in a single year but also the fourth successive year of continued expansion of enrolled cotton acres, providing an ever-increasing amount of more sustainably grown cotton available for brand and retailer members to access.
The 1.6 million planted acres enrolled in the Trust Protocol represents 16% of all planted U.S. cotton acres in 2023.
“We continue to be inspired and encouraged to see that U.S. cotton growers have once again expanded the number of planted acres enrolled in the program, underscoring their unwavering commitment to ongoing improvement,” said Daren Abney, Executive Director of the U.S. Cotton Trust Protocol. “With the growing number of enrolled acres, we’re making even more environmentally responsible cotton accessible to our brand and retailer members for sourcing. The Trust Protocol team is excited to support our members in their more responsible sourcing practices.”
Brand and retailer members can track both U.S. Cotton and Protocol Cotton through the Protocol Consumption Management Solution (PCMS) and claim Protocol Consumption Units (PCCUs). Protocol Cotton is grown and harvested on Protocol farms and one PCCU is minted for each kilogram of Protocol Cotton in the system.
To date, 970 million PCCUs are available to be consumed in the PCMS, equivalent to 4.45 million bales of cotton.
The Trust Protocol’s vision is to set a new standard in sustainable cotton production where full transparency is a reality and continuous improvement is the central goal. The program’s core values include a commitment to U.S. cotton’s legacy of authenticity, innovation and excellence, environmental stewardship, caring of people, and personal and corporate integrity. The program currently has more than 1,800 supplier members from more than 40 companies and brands, including Ralph Lauren, Gap, Levi Strauss & Co., and J.Crew.
Information from the U.S. Cotton Trust Protocol
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