The US Cotton Trust Protocol has joined TextileGenesis™ platform to deliver unparalleled supply chain transparency through its Protocol Credit Management System (PCMS). As per Textile World, the PCMS records and verifies the movement of US cotton fiber by capturing and verifying article level transactions between the multiple participants along the complete supply chain. Upon receipt of their finished products, Trust Protocol’s brands and retailers can claim credits, digital tokens equivalent to the physical cotton produced under the program, and make corresponding claims related to the environmental metrics and sustainable practices adopted by participating Trust Protocol growers.

The collaboration will result in initial pilot trials with selected brands and mills in early June 2021, with full deployment of the PCMS envisioned for early 2022. Since its launch in 2020, the Trust Protocol has included 300 brands, retailers, mills and manufacturers as its members. The protocol is included on the Textile Exchange’s list of 36 preferred fibers and materials that more than 170 participating brands and retailers can select from as part of Textile Exchange’s Material Change Index program. The Trust Protocol also plans to align with existing standards in the cotton industry and is part of the Sustainable Apparel Coalition, the Forum for the Future Cotton 2040, and the CottonUp guide.