The U.S. Cotton Trust Protocol under COTTON USA™, which sets a new standard for more sustainable cotton production, continues to gain advocates in Colombia and now has more than ten affiliated companies in the country. Colhilados, Denim Factory, Fabricato, Higietex, Industrias Cannon de Colombia, Union Made and designers Juan Pablo Martínez and María Luisa Ortiz, among others, are included in the prestigious list.
"Through third-party verification, robust data and traceability from the cotton bale to delivery at spinning and textile mill facilities, the Trust Protocol provides brands and retailers with the key assurances they need to ensure that the cotton fiber in their supply chain is grown using sustainable practices and with lower environmental and social risks," said Nina Maldonado-Cortés, Cotton Council International's Regional Manager for the Andean Region.
Beyond manufacturing processes, the US Cotton Trust Protocol provides for the first time verified annual data to brands and distributors, from planting and crop care, to origin and responsible consumption and sales plans.
Within the data collected by the protocol, six areas of sustainability aligned with the UN Sustainable Development Goals are included. Colombian consumers are increasingly interested in the biodegradable and ethical characteristics of brands, products, and inputs, when buying a garment or fashion accessories, hence the interest of the brands to add high-level suppliers.
About the U.S. Cotton Trust Protocol The Trust Protocol was founded in 2020 in response to the need to make the supply chain more visible. It has since established itself as the new standard for more sustainably grown cotton. In the coming years, the U.S. Cotton Trust Protocol will continue to advance its program with the goal of supporting producers, brands, and retailers on their path to sustainability. In just one year, the U.S. Cotton Trust Protocol has brought together more than 465 brands, retailers, mills, and manufacturers and brought 950,000 bales of sustainable cotton into the system. The initiative has also launched the Protocol Consumption Management Solution (PCMS). This enables the Trust Protocol to provide transparency and visibility across the entire cotton supply chain, backed by data independently verified by its producers. Responding to the need for greater supply chain visibility, PCMS uses the combined power of the Protocol Platform and TextileGenesis to provide members with the world's first sustainable cotton fiber that offers transparency into item metrics throughout the supply chain.