U.S. Climate Smart Cotton Program
The U.S. Cotton Trust Protocol is proud to lead the Climate Smart Cotton Program which aims to improve the carbon footprint of the U.S. cotton industry. It is a five-year initiative that presents a transformative opportunity for U.S. cotton growers to enhance their profitability, operations, and environmental stewardship. For brands and retailers, the program will support efforts to reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and allow reporting against Scope 3 emissions reductions for cotton used in products.
Producers who have completed enrollment in the Trust Protocol, which includes data entry and bale uploads, are eligible to apply for the Climate Smart Cotton Program.
The goals of the five-year program are to:
Provide technical and financial assistance to U.S. cotton farmers
Advance adoption of Climate Smart Agriculture (CSA) practices on 1.2 million U.S. cotton acres
Produce 4.2 million bales of Climate Smart Cotton™
Enroll 1,650 U.S. cotton farmers, including 330 farmers from historically underserved communities
Reduce CO2e emissions by 1.14M metric tons
This program is one of the first projects to be announced and signed by the United States Department of Agriculture and Secretary Tom Vilsack as part of the department’s Partnership for Climate-Smart Commodities pilot projects.
The Climate Smart Cotton Program will build upon the four pillars of CSA practices that support planting cover crops, reduced tillage, and nutrient management. This will allow for improved soil health, increased drought and flood resilience, advanced nutrient use efficiency, decreased soil erosion, and reduced GHG emissions.
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Program Partners
The Climate Smart Cotton Program takes the industry to the next step utilizing the Trust Protocol’s foundational reputation and incorporates our program partners’ knowledge and expertise of supply chain outreach, academia, and sustainability.
Program partners include Cotton Council International, Cotton Incorporated, the Soil Health Institute, Texas A&M AgriLife Research, Agricenter International, Alabama A&M University and North Carolina A&T State University.
Lead Partner
Program Partners
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Are you a U.S. cotton grower who is interested in learning more about the Climate Smart Cotton Program? Fill out the form below to receive more information.
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