UK retailer Next plc has joined the U.S. Cotton Trust Protocol

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Next plc has joined the U.S. Cotton Trust Protocol in their journey to source all cotton from responsible sources by 2025. Next plc is a clothing, footwear and home product retailer with around 500 stores in the UK and Ireland.  

The U.S. Cotton Trust Protocol provides fashion brands and retailers, like Next plc, with the critical information they need to show the cotton fiber element of their supply chain is responsibly grown. It works by providing member brands with verified data on the sustainability practices used on U.S. cotton farms, with participating growers collecting data in six key areas of sustainability: water use, greenhouse gas emissions, energy use, soil carbon, soil loss, and land use efficiency. 

Next plc’s 2025 target to source 100% of its main raw materials through known, responsible or certified routes means that it will only use cotton produced in line with key sustainability performance indicators. The U.S. Cotton Trust Protocol underpins and verifies sustainability progress through sophisticated data collection and independent third-party verification. By working with Field to Market: The Alliance for Sustainable Agriculture and Control Union Certifications North America, the Trust Protocol enables brands and retailers to better track the cotton entering their supply chain. 

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Deepika Mishra

Standards and Data Lead (consultant)

Deepika Mishra is the Standards and Data Lead for the U.S. Cotton Trust Protocol, acting as a consultant for the program. As an accomplished scientist and data analytics specialist, Deepika leads on analysis of the Trust Protocol’s environmental metrics. She collaborates extensively with agricultural research institutions, conservation groups, and food and trade organizations, playing a vital role in the establishment of sustainability and social standards within the industry.

Deepika earned her Ph.D. in plant and soil science from Texas Tech University, specializing in cotton breeding and genetics. With over a decade of experience, she has spearheaded diverse agricultural projects in both India and the United States, covering crops like cotton, cowpeas, castor, sesame, guar, guayule, tomato, and field pennycress (cover crop). Her contributions also include the development and release of multiple cowpea varieties in India during her M.S. studies in vegetable breeding and genetics.