MEMPHIS – Luxury US fashion brand, Ralph Lauren, has joined the U.S. Cotton Trust Protocol (“Trust Protocol”). The membership is aimed at supporting Ralph Lauren in its efforts to scale more sustainable practices in US cotton production.
The Trust Protocol drives improvement in six key areas – land use, soil carbon, water management, soil loss, greenhouse gas emissions, and energy efficiency. These are integrated with sustainability metrics from the Field to Market’s Fieldprint Platform, which enables enrolled cotton growers to measure the environmental impacts of their operation and identify opportunities for continuous improvement.
“Cotton makes up more than three quarters of our total material use, and we are committed to ensuring this critical fibre is fully sustainably-sourced in our portfolio by 2025. Our ambition requires collaboration and partnership with organizations like the Trust Protocol as we work together to make progress on sustainable cotton goals – within our business and the winder industry,” said Katie Ioanilli, chief global impact & communications officer at Ralph Lauren.
“We are proud to welcome Ralph Lauren as a new member and aid in their efforts to advance better sustainability practices within the industry,” said Dr Gary Adams, president of the U.S. Cotton Trust Protocol. “Ralph Lauren’s Timeless by Design strategy emphasizes the importance of respecting the planet and adopting science-based practices that help protect natural resources, both of which are key pillars of the Trust Protocol. The program was designed to enable improvements in soil health and better management of natural resources by supporting the transition to more sustainable and responsible techniques.”
The Trust Protocol was recently awarded funding as one of those selected as part of the USDA Partnership for Climate-Smart Commodities pilot projects to build markets for climate-smart cotton and provide technical and financial assistance to over 1,000 U.S. cotton farmers to advance adoption of climate smart practices on more than one million acres. The project is a multi-stakeholder initiative that includes the Soil Health Institute, which the Ralph Lauren Corporate Foundation supports through the US Regenerative Cotton Fund.
