Ted Schneider, President, Cotton Council International (CCI), at the Cotton Sourcing USA Summit in Scottsdale, Ariz introduced the US Cotton Trust Protocol; an integrated data collection, measurement and verification procedure that will document US cotton production practices and their environmental impact. The data is intended to benchmark farmers’ gains towards the industry goals and will provide global textile supply chain additional assurances that US cotton is produced in a responsible manner.
The details of the Protocol are being fine-tuned, and a pilot program will be launched in 2019 and fully implemented with the 2020 cotton crop year. Participating growers would be required to adopt a data tool that allows for the quantitative measurement of key sustainability metrics, such as the FieldPrint Platform from field to market.
Growers would complete a self-assessment checklist of best management practices; with a sampling of participating producers subjected to independent verification. The online interface and associated databases are currently being developed by a Memphis-based company The Seam.
