The US Cotton Trust Protocol welcomed its first Latin America-based members: Central America Spinning Works El Salvador, Cone Mills, Colhilados, Fabricato, Gama Textil, Global Textiles, Grupo Industrial Miro, Grupo Vivatex, Hilanderia de Algodon Peruano, Honduras Spinning Mills, Industrias Cannon de Colombia, Industrias Merlet, Industria Textil del Pacifico, Junior de Mexico (OGGI Jeans), Manufacturas Kaltex, MT Textiles, OA, Playeras Mark, Premium Knits, Quality Knits, Ropa Siete Leguas, SJ Jersey Ecuatoriano, Tavex, Textufil, Textiles Marie Lou, Textil del Valle, WT Sourcing and Zagis. Among other benefits, membership enables these mills and manufacturers to prove that the cotton fibre element in their textiles is more sustainably grown.

Gary Adams, President of the US Cotton Trust Protocol, in a statement said the textile industry works to improve the transparency in their supply chain that brands and retailers are asking for. The Trust Protocol is providing verified, reliable data about cotton growers’ responsible growing practices in six key areas – water use, greenhouse gas emissions, energy use, soil carbon, soil loss and land use efficiency – and shows how sustainability is constantly improving through the entire supply chain.

Mills and manufacturers who become members have access to the Trust Protocol credit system to validate consumption of cotton and associated credits. The combination of a unique credit accounting system and the Permanent Bale Identification (PBI) system enables brands to have transparency throughout the supply chain to finished product.

In December 2020, the Trust Protocol also announced GAP’s membership as part of their integrated sustainability strategy and to help achieve their commitment to use only 100 per cent sustainably-sourced cotton by 2025. December also saw the announcement of the first 10 US mills to join the Trust Protocol.