MEMPHIS, TN— (June 2, 2026) — The U.S. Cotton Trust Protocol today announced the implementation of forensic verification to establish a new Physical Assurance Program, implementing forensic isotopic analysis, to validate the origin of U.S. cotton. The program launched, following a successful pilot with Oritain, global leaders in forensic origin verification, will provide an additional layer of assurance through physical verification, strengthening supply chain integrity, confidence, and trust among its members.
Key benefits include:
- Providing Physical Scientific Assurance: Using forensic science to independently verify the physical products moving through the supply chain are made with U.S. cotton.
- Strengthening Supply Chain Integrity: Offering a new layer of assurance, transparency and confidence for all Trust Protocol members, from mills to retailers.
- Enhancing Credibility: Delivering verified, data-backed evidence that supports origin claims made by members.
“Assurance is a key element of the Trust Protocol, and this program is intended to introduce an additional layer of confidence for our members and their customers,” said Gary Adams, President of the U.S. Cotton Trust Protocol.
“While our digital traceability system provides important transparency, we are incorporating forensic analysis of selected products at certain stages of the manufacturing process. Given cotton from different regions carries distinct forensic characteristics, our partnership with Oritain is intended to help inform and support U.S. origin declarations through independent scientific analysis. This sample-based approach is designed to complement our traceability platform by offering additional perspective on supply chain performance and by encouraging ongoing attention to chain-of-custody practices across the system.”
Beginning in May, a randomized sampling of supplier members will be requested to provide representative material samples, such as yarn or fabric, for testing. Oritain will independently analyze these samples to validate their claimed origin. The results will be shared back with both the Trust Protocol and the member.
“Physical verification is the missing layer in many traceability systems today,” said Gemma Lynch, Chief Customer Officer at Oritain. “Existing traceability gives important visibility, and forensic isotopic analysis combined with proprietary data modelling goes further — validating origin claims at the product level and ensuring source materials are exactly what they’re claimed to be. It’s about strengthening trust through independent, data-backed proof of origin.”
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About the U.S. Cotton Trust Protocol
The U.S. Cotton Trust Protocol is the voluntary sustainability program for U.S. cotton growers and a traceability platform for all U.S. Cotton. It brings quantifiable and verifiable goals and measurements to the issue of responsible cotton production and drives continuous improvement in six key sustainability areas: land use efficiency, water use efficiency, energy use, greenhouse gas emissions, soil conservation, and soil carbon. The Trust Protocol underpins and verifies sustainability progress through sophisticated data collection and independent third-party verification.
About Oritain
Oritain is a global leader in forensic origin verification. Our proprietary methodology verifies origin through multiple analytical techniques – including isotopes, trace elements, and non-traditional isotopes – combined with advanced statistical modelling and a comprehensive global reference database. Our verification programs are trusted by organizations worldwide across industries including fashion and cotton, leather, timber, coffee, meat, and dairy, helping them achieve regulatory compliance, reduce reputational risk, and meet market demand through verifying the provenance of their products. Oritain’s award winning solution has received global recognition, most recently winning the Global Environment award at the Greater Good Awards, Judges’ Choice for Environmental Impact at the Environment + Energy Leader Awards, among others. To learn more, visit www.oritain.com.
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Megan McKinstry
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