Trust Protocol growers make 'excellent' progress
15/11/2022
Notably, the total area on which Trust Protocol-approved cotton is grown has doubled versus its pilot year to around 445,000 hectares of land, the organisation said, with all 17 cotton-producing states in the US now represented. Its mill and manufacturer membership also increased by more than 50% during the reporting period, it added, with the total number of brand and retail partners such as Ralph Lauren, Gap, Tesco and Levi Strauss & Co now reaching 40.
According to data collected at participating farms, Trust Protocol growers saw a 78% reduction in soil loss, a 13% improvement in land use efficiency, a 14% increase in water use efficiency and 21% lower greenhouse gas emissions, among other encouraging results. President of the body, Dr Gary Adams, called these results excellent, but also cautioned that a widening pool of growers may weaken future findings, at least initially: “As we continue to increase the number of growers participating in the Trust Protocol, we also expect that future environmental performance against our targets may change.
“Ultimately, to have the greatest impact requires both the broadest participation and the best environmental performance – we strive for both, but we also want to be transparent about our expectations for the future.”
Image: US Cotton Trust Protocol.
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