ITC endorses US Cotton Trust Protocol
The International Trade Centre (ITC), a Geneva-headquartered agency under the aegis of the United Nations and the World Trade Organization, recently added the US Cotton Trust Protocol (Trust Protocol) to its Standards Map.
In order to be listed, bodies need to be able to show that they address at least one pillar of sustainable development in their activities (taking a social, economic and/or environmental angle) and/or focus on ethics or quality management.
Trust Protocol president, Dr Gary Adams, stated that being endorsed by the ITC in this way would now signal to both businesses and consumers alike that his own organisation’s claims of fostering a climate of more sustainably grown cotton “with lower environmental and social risk” have been verified by a “trusted independent organisation”.
On behalf of the ITC, senior advisor Mathieu Lamolle commented: “During a time of increased supply chain scrutiny, brands and retailers face challenges in keeping track of sustainability initiatives and meeting requirements.
“We appreciate that organisations such as the Trust Protocol voluntarily submit their sustainability metrics for verification and mapping in our Standards Map database, so that companies can make better informed decisions about certification and involvement in sustainable production of their raw materials.”
Launched during summer 2020, the Trust Protocol describes itself as committed to continuous improvement in six key areas of sustainability: land use, soil carbon, soil loss, water management, energy efficiency and greenhouse gas emissions.
