Growers
The U.S. Cotton Trust Protocol recognizes the challenges cotton growers face, and we’re committed to supporting your success. We provide a unique set of data and resources to help you make informed decisions, meet the growing demand for responsibly produced cotton, and continue competing successfully in the global market.
Membership Benefits
Data-Driven Decisions
Receive actionable insights to understand your farm’s footprint, help optimize operations, improve overall efficiency, and demonstrate your commitment to responsible practices through measurement and verification.
Continuous Improvement
Access resources and support to continuously evaluate and improve your operation and efficiencies.
Meet Growing Demand
Demonstrate your commitment to sustainable cotton production and meet increasing demand for responsibly sourced fiber from brands and retailers.
Enhanced Market Access and Visibility
Connect your product with brands and retailers actively seeking responsibly sourced cotton, expanding your market opportunities.
National Recognition
Demonstrate your commitment to responsible cotton production through participation in an established national sustainability program.
Verification Process
As a Protocol grower, you’ll begin by enrolling in the Trust Protocol and completing the Grower Self-Assessment Questionnaire. This is a valuable tool for understanding your farm’s performance and identifying opportunities for continuous improvement.
To ensure the credibility of this data, we utilize a verification process. This not only validates your efforts but also helps us refine the program to best serve your needs. It also gives brands and retailers the assurance to choose U.S. Cotton and Protocol Cotton.
- You’ll be automatically grouped with other growers in your region. We then use a statistical method to determine a sample of farms that will undergo second- and third-party verifications.
- Second-party verification involves an online or phone conversation. Third-party verification involves an on-site farm visit walking through the farm, discussion with the Protocol grower, and reviewing additional paperwork to ensure the self-assessment data is accurate. This is a necessary step to make sure you’re in compliance with the program and the Trust Protocol maintains program integrity.
- Both second and third-party verification are key to allowing growers to understand the gaps between self-reporting and actual data as well as providing assurances to brands and retailers on their raw cotton sourcing.
Dahlen Hancock,
Protocol Grower, Texas
Get to Know Our Growers
Get to Know Our Growers