Governance

The Trust Protocol is an industry-wide initiative, inclusive of all elements of the U.S. cotton industry including conventional and organic.

It is overseen by a multi-stakeholder Board of Directors comprised of brands and retailers, civil society and independent sustainability experts as well as growers, ginners, merchants, wholesalers and cooperatives, mills and cottonseed handlers.

Program staff encompasses representatives from all U.S. cotton industry entities, including Cotton Incorporated, Cotton Council International and the National Cotton Council. The National Cotton Council supports all cotton grown in the U.S. with a mission to ensure the ability to compete effectively and profitably at home and abroad.

The Trust Protocol is striving to set a new standard in sustainable cotton production and does not state preferred use of either conventional or organic cotton production.

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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.