- Program aims to measure and improve the carbon footprint of the U.S. cotton industry.
- Participating growers receive technical and financial support, among other benefits.
- Applications will be approved on a first-come-first-served basis.
U.S. cotton growers can apply now through September 1, 2023 for the Climate Smart Cotton Program, a five-year initiative led by the U.S. Cotton Trust Protocol. The program aims to measure and improve the carbon footprint of the U.S. cotton industry while building on the four pillars of Climate Smart Agriculture (CSA) practices. Participating growers will receive technical and financial support as well as other benefits that can enhance their operations, profitability and environmental stewardship.
Applications will be approved on a first-come first-served basis. To be eligible growers must first complete enrollment in the Trust Protocol by September 1, 2023 and upload their 2023 bales by March 1, 2024. Growers are encouraged to get started today to secure a spot in the program and maximize benefits.
The program’s goals are to:
- Provide technical and financial assistance to U.S. cotton farmers
- Advance adoption of CSA practices on 1.2M U.S. cotton acres
- Produce 4.2M bales of Climate Smart Cotton™ over five years
- Enroll 1,650 U.S. cotton farmers, including 330 farmers from historically underserved communities
- Reduce CO2e emissions by 1.14M metric tons
“The U.S. cotton industry has long focused on continuous improvement and the launch of the Trust Protocol in 2020 provided the opportunity to prove and measure our sustainability outcomes,” said Dr. Gary Adams, President of the U.S. Cotton Trust Protocol. “The Climate Smart Cotton Program takes our industry to the next step utilizing the Trust Protocol’s foundational reputation and our program partners’ expertise so that growers can learn, grow and explore new opportunities for reducing climate impacts, as well as resources to aid with implementation.”
The Climate Smart Cotton Program brings together leaders and partners from supply chain outreach, academia and sustainability. Program partners include Cotton Council International, Cotton Incorporated, the Soil Health Institute, Texas A&M AgriLife Research, Agricenter International, Alabama A&M University and North Carolina A&T State University.
Growers can apply for the Climate Smart Cotton Program and enroll in the Trust Protocol at www.TrustUSCotton.org. For a step-by-step video on how to enroll, growers can click here. For assistance email info@trustuscotton.org.
ABOUT THE U.S. COTTON TRUST PROTOCOL
The U.S. Cotton Trust Protocol is a voluntary, farm level science-based sustainability program that is setting a new standard for delivering value to all stakeholders across the entire supply chain from farms to finished products. It is the only system that provides quantifiable, verifiable goals and measurement and drives continuous improvement in six key sustainability metrics – land use, soil carbon, water management, soil loss, greenhouse gas emissions, and energy efficiency. It is also the world’s first sustainable cotton fiber program to offer article-level supply chain transparency to all members.
The Trust Protocol is overseen by a multi-stakeholder Board of Directors comprised of representatives from brands and retailers, civil society and independent sustainability experts as well as the cotton-growing industry, including growers, ginners, merchants, wholesalers and cooperatives, mills and cottonseed handlers.
