Walmart has joined the U.S. Cotton Trust Protocol, a move that is a major boost for sustainable cotton sourcing in the retail industry and highlights Walmart’s focus on regeneration and transparency in its supply chain.
As a U.S. Cotton Trust Protocol member, Walmart can now track sustainable U.S. cotton through its supply chain and access aggregated, verifiable data on the sustainability practices used by U.S. cotton growers. This supports Walmart’s goal of sourcing more sustainable cotton and its broader ambition to help protect, restore and more sustainably manage at least 50 million acres of land and 1 million square miles of ocean by 2030.
“At Walmart, we are committed to providing our customers with quality products that are not only affordable but also produced in a way that is responsible and sustainable,” said Jerome Del Porto, Head of Corporate Sustainability at Walmart. “Joining the U.S. Cotton Trust Protocol is another step in our journey to continue driving meaningful change within our own supply chain and the industry at large.”
“We welcome Walmart to the Trust Protocol, recognizing the reach and influence their membership will extend in advancing sustainable cotton sourcing practices,” added Gary Adams, President of the U.S. Cotton Trust Protocol. “This collaboration directly strengthens our mission to drive continuous improvement and foster greater transparency in the supply chain.”
Established in 2020, the Trust Protocol is a voluntary, science-based sustainability program and traceability platform for U.S. cotton that collects, aggregates and verifies field-level data across six key sustainability metrics. By providing robust supply chain traceability and transparency, along with access to verifiable environmental data, the U.S. Cotton Trust Protocol gives brands and retailers, including Walmart, Amazon, Macy’s Inc., and Levi’s, the assurances they need that they are sourcing more sustainably grown cotton.