The U.S. Cotton Trust Protocol is enhancing the value of its program by joining TextileGenesis as the world’s first sustainable cotton fiber to offer full transparency across the supply chain on the platform.
The Cotton Trust Protocol, a new science-based sustainability program that collects robust farm-level data against six key sustainability metrics, said the move will help deliver greater supply chain transparency through its Protocol Credit Management System (PCMS). It also is recognition of the growing importance of increased supply chain visibility to its brand and retail members.
“Today, having a holistic view of every step throughout the supply chain is imperative for brands and retailers,” Dr. Gary Adams, president of the U.S. Cotton Trust Protocol, said. “We are proud to announce our collaboration with TextileGenesis to address this need as the Trust Protocol aims to set a new standard for more sustainable and trackable cotton production.”
In combination with the existing Protocol Platform developed by Memphis-based technology partner The Seam, the TextileGenesis platform will allow the PCMS to record and verify the movement of U.S. cotton fiber through the entire process by capturing and confirming article-level transactions between the multiple participants along the complete supply chain.
Upon receipt of their finished products, Trust Protocol brand and retail members will be able to claim Protocol Credits–digital tokens equivalent to the physical cotton produced under the program–and make corresponding claims related to the environmental metrics and sustainable practices adopted by participating Trust Protocol growers.
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“We have engineered our platform to leverage the latest technology and industry-specific best practices, with a heavy emphasis on strong data methodologies,” Amit Gautam, CEO and founder of TextileGenesis, said. “Collaborating with the U.S. Cotton Trust Protocol, with its clear focus on robust data and the strength of its verification practices, creates a powerful solution for brands and retailers worldwide in their search for more sustainable fibers and enhanced visibility in their supply chains.”
The collaboration will result in initial pilot trials with selected brands and mills in early June, with full deployment of the PCMS seen in early 2022.
More than 300 brand, retailer, mill and manufacturer members have joined the Trust Protocol since its launch in 2020. It is included on Textile Exchange’s list of 36 preferred fibers and materials from which 170 participating brands and retailers can select as part of Textile Exchange’s Material Change Index program.
The Trust Protocol also is working to align with existing standards in the cotton industry and is part of the Sustainable Apparel Coalition, the Forum for the Future Cotton 2040, and the CottonUp guide.
TextileGenesis is a supply chain traceability platform for the fashion and textile industry enabled by blockchain technology. Its Fibercoin traceability technology creates real-time traceability at the article level from fiber to retail, creating a new level of visibility for brands and retailers. The platform is custom-built for all sustainable fibers in the fashion industry such as man-made cellulosic fibers, sustainable cotton, responsible wool and recycled polyester.