MEMPHIS, TENN (July 14, 2026) – The U.S. Cotton Trust Protocol today announced that 2.34 million planted acres now provide field-level data through the program for the 2026 crop year, representing nearly one in four of the 9.85 million total U.S. cotton acres planted this season.
This reflects the continued commitment of U.S. cotton growers to responsible production, even as they navigate a challenging economic landscape. Despite facing fluctuating input costs, unpredictable weather, and shifting market dynamics, growers are choosing to formalize and voluntarily provide data on their sustainability practices. This participation speaks to the resilience of U.S. growers and their commitment to securing the long-term credibility of U.S. cotton in the global marketplace.
By participating in the U.S. Cotton Trust Protocol, growers gain access to actionable, data-driven insights that help build greater visibility into their environmental footprint, refine farming practices, and improve operational efficiency.
“The growers enrolled in the U.S. Cotton Trust Protocol are the foundation of a more transparent and responsible U.S. cotton supply chain,” said Marjory Walker, Co-Director of the U.S. Cotton Trust Protocol. “Their dedication, especially given the challenges facing the cotton industry this season, is what makes it possible for brands and retailers worldwide to source independently verified, traceable U.S. Cotton and demonstrate meaningful progress against their sustainability commitments.”
The U.S. Cotton Trust Protocol serves both ends of the cotton supply chain. For brands and retailers, the program’s traceability solution provides the ability to track U.S. Cotton, Protocol Cotton, and now U.S. Regen Cotton, to finished product.
First announced as a pilot in 2025, the Trust Protocol’s Field Partner Program was established to formally recognize and verify regenerative agriculture practices at the field level, building a scalable pathway for U.S. Regenerative Cotton to move through the supply chain. As the program moves beyond its pilot phase, it is providing brands and retailers with access to verified, traceable regenerative cotton at the scale needed. This fiber also provides brands and retailers with the opportunity to help meet sourcing and reporting goals while responding to growing consumer and stakeholder interest.
“What is most encouraging about where the program is today is that through the Field Partner Program, we are not just recognizing responsible production through the field-level data provided by our growers, we are building a scalable, credible pathway for regenerative cotton,” Walker said. “The Field Partner Program brings the science-based verification and market connectivity that allow this work to be recognized, rewarded, and acted on by brands.”
The Trust Protocol currently has more than 2,800 mill and manufacturer members across 56 countries and more than 55 global companies and their brands, including Ralph Lauren, PVH Corp., Walmart, adidas, Under Armour, Levi’s, Carhartt, and Gymshark.
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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 traceability platform for all U.S. Cotton. It brings quantifiable and verifiable goals and measurement to responsible cotton production and drives continuous improvement in six key sustainability areas: land use, soil health, water management, greenhouse gas emissions, energy use, and fiber quality. The Trust Protocol underpins and verifies U.S. cotton’s sustainability progress through sophisticated data collection and independent third-party verification.
Media Contact
Jayci Bishop;
Email: Jayci.Bishop@bursonglobal.com;
Phone: +1 (214) 613-0396
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