Photo by Mark Stebnicki for Pexels
The U.S. Cotton Trust Protocol (Trust Protocol), the leading program for responsibly grown U.S. cotton, has published its latest annual report highlighting increased membership and significant sustainability progress against a 2015 baseline. Drawing on five years of aggregated field-level data, this landmark report demonstrates the Trust Protocol’s commitment to building a resilient and sustainable cotton supply chain.
Growers have met or exceeded five of the six ambitious 2025 National Goals for Continuous Improvement, giving brands credible data to support their sustainability claims.
Achievements include:
- Land use efficiency – a 15% reduction in land use needed to grow one pound of cotton, meeting the 2025 goal a year early, with Protocol growers producing 20% more cotton per acre than the U.S. average;
- Water use efficiency – an 87% improvement, with growers producing the same amount of cotton with 47% less irrigation water despite droughts, exceeding the 2025 goal;
- Energy use efficiency – a 28% reduction in energy footprint, contributing to lower Scope 3 emissions for downstream partners, exceeding the 2025 goal;
- Soil loss – a reduction of 87%, preserving vital topsoil and bringing erosion levels well below USDA thresholds, exceeding the 2025 goal;
- Soil health improvement – growers on 71% of acres are now actively building healthier soils that store carbon, meeting the 2025 goal; and
- Greenhouse gas emissions – reduced by 25%, achieved through optimized nitrogen use efficiency and precision irrigation technologies.
“This year’s annual report unequivocally demonstrates that sustainable practices deliver measurable improvements in efficiency, resilience and environmental outcomes that can directly impact the supply chain,” said Dr. Gary Adams, President of the U.S. Cotton Trust Protocol.
“With emerging regulations like the EU’s Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive (CSRD) and growing stakeholder scrutiny, the need for verifiable, robust data has never been more important for brands and retailers,” added Daren Abney, Executive Director of the U.S. Cotton Trust Protocol. “Our program helps deliver that assurance.”
Other highlights from the annual report include:
- Continued Record Growth – for the sixth consecutive year, participation grew despite challenging farming conditions. Grower members increased by 14%, while enrolled acres expanded by 18%, ensuring a reliable supply of sustainably produced U.S. cotton for the global market. At the same time, mill and manufacturer membership increased by 13%
- Use of Regenerative Agriculture Practices – Trust Protocol growers are increasingly adopting regenerative agriculture practices, resulting in benefits such as improved soil health and water quality. Almost two-thirds of growers are planting cover crops, and more than half of acres are under no-till or conservation tillage.
- New Regenerative Cotton Pilot – In 2025, the Trust Protocol launched a pilot program to formally recognize and verify regenerative practices, providing brands and retailers with a new sourcing option for traceable regenerative U.S. Cotton.