MEMPHIS – The U.S. Cotton Trust Protocol has expanded for the sixth straight year, with grower participation and planted acreage increasing in 2025. The initiative now covers 2.58 million acres of planted cotton, up 18 per cent from the previous year, with 1,512 growers enrolled. This is a 14 per cent rise on 2024.
The growth comes amid a backdrop of rising input costs, unpredictable weather, and shifting market conditions, and suggests growing interest among U.S. cotton producers in initiatives that offer greater insight into on-farm environmental performance.
Participating growers receive data-driven feedback designed to help them assess and improve resource efficiency. The programme includes measurement and verification tools intended to support efforts to reduce environmental impact and strengthen responsible farming practices.
Daren Abney, executive director of the Trust Protocol, said the continued increase in participation reflects the programme’s relevance in today’s economic and environmental context. “The Trust Protocol provides a voluntary sustainability programme for U.S. cotton that offers benefits to both farmers and global supply chain partners,” he said.
The Trust Protocol includes a traceability component to track U.S. Cotton and ‘Protocol Cotton’ through to finished goods. It currently counts over 2,500 mills and manufacturers among its members, and is used by more than 45 international brands and retailers, including Ralph Lauren, Gap, Levi’s, Carhartt, J.Crew and Urban Outfitters.
