Sustainability initiative the US Cotton Trust Protocol has partnered with blockchain specialist Textile Genesis to improve transparency in cotton supply chains.
Launched to verify sustainability progress through data collection and third-party cooperation, the protocol aligns brands and growers of US cotton in best measuring their impacts across six areas: water use, greenhouse gas emissions, energy use, soil carbon, soil loss and land-use efficiency.
Leveraging blockchain, the platform will offer brands an additional layer of supply chain insight that president Dr Gary Adams predicts should “set a new standard for more sustainable and trackable cotton production”. 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.
The Trust Protocol has welcomed more than 300 brand, retailer, mill and manufacturer members since its launch in 2020.
It is included on Textile Exchange’s list of 36 preferred fibres 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 is working to align with existing standards in the cotton Industry. It is part of the Sustainable Apparel Coalition, the Forum for the Future Cotton 2040, and the CottonUp guide.
