U.S. Cotton Trust Protocol Achieves Sixth Year of Record Growth

By Cotton Grower Staff|June 10, 2025

The U.S. Cotton Trust Protocol announced its sixth consecutive year of growth, marking an expansion in both planted acres and enrolled growers.

The Trust Protocol – the voluntary sustainability program for U.S. cotton – now represents 2.58 million planted acres, an 18% increase from the previous year, planted by 1,512 participating growers – a 14% rise compared to 2024. This growth underscores the program’s increasing value to U.S. cotton farmers, particularly in today’s challenging environment with fluctuating input costs, changing weather, and evolving market conditions.

By participating in the Trust Protocol, growers receive actionable data-driven insights that help them understand their environmental footprint, optimize farming practices, and improve overall efficiency. This allows them to demonstrate their commitment to responsible practices through measurement and verification.

“We are proud of the continued increase in grower participation in the Trust Protocol, which means greater sourcing opportunities for brands and retailers around the world, including increased access to U.S. Cotton and Protocol Cotton,” says Daren Abney, Executive Director of the Trust Protocol. “This consistent increase highlights the value growers find in our program as they look for opportunities to enhance resilience in the face of current economic and environmental pressures.”

The Trust Protocol provides a transparent and verifiable system for tracking U.S. Cotton and Protocol Cotton to finished product, giving brands and retailers the assurance they need to help meet their sourcing goals and reporting requirements. The program currently has more than 2,500 mill and manufacturer members around the world, plus more than 45 global brands including Ralph Lauren, Gap, Levi’s, Carhartt, J.Crew, and Urban Outfitters.