Launched in 2020, the U.S. Cotton Trust Protocol is the voluntary sustainability program and traceability platform for U.S. Cotton.
The Trust Protocol is the only system that provides quantifiable and verifiable goals and measurement and drives continuous improvement in six key sustainability metrics – land use, soil carbon, water management, soil loss, greenhouse gas emissions, and energy efficiency. As well as the world’s first sustainable cotton fiber program to offer article-level supply chain transparency to all members.
The Trust Protocol’s purpose is to ensure that we contribute to a more sustainable and transparent world, by creating positive impact, measuring outcomes, driving innovation and assuring trust in U.S. Cotton.
Our vision is to be the world’s most trusted fiber program where full traceability is a reality and continuous, measurable improvement of our environmental footprint sets the standard for the global market.
The Trust Protocol’s mission is to create a sustainable standard for U.S. Cotton that is data-powered, traceable by design, and generates positive impact through the global cotton value system – from farms to finished product.
The Trust Protocol’s core values include a commitment to U.S. cotton’s legacy of authenticity, innovation and excellence, environmental stewardship, caring of people, and personal and corporate integrity.
The U.S. Cotton Trust Protocol’s Theory of Change includes the program’s mission, vision and core values, and is grounded on science-based measurement and feedback. It contains information on how the Trust Protocol operates – from farm to fabric – and the membership journey.
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.