Cotton growers in the US can apply now for the Climate Smart Cotton Program, a five-year initiative led by the US Cotton Trust Protocol.
- The initiative aims to measure and improve the carbon footprint of the US cotton industry while building on the four pillars of Climate Smart Agriculture (CSA) practices.
The Applications: Participating growers will receive technical and financial support as well as other benefits that can enhance their operations, profitability and environmental stewardship.
- Applications will be approved on a first-come first-served basis.
- To be eligible growers must first complete enrollment in the Trust Protocol by 1 September 2023 and upload their 2023 bales by 1 March 2024.
- Growers are encouraged to get started today to secure a spot in the programme and maximise benefits.
The Goals: Five goals have been listed:
- Provide technical and financial assistance to US cotton farmers;
- Advance adoption of CSA practices on 1.2 million US cotton acres;
- Produce 4.2 million bales of Climate Smart Cotton over five years;
- Enroll 1,650 US cotton farmers, including 330 from historically underserved communities;
- Reduce CO2e emissions by 1.14 million metric tonnes.
Other Details: The Climate Smart Cotton Program brings together leaders and partners from supply chain outreach, academia and sustainability.
- 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.
- The US Cotton Trust Protocol's sustainability programme aims at setting a new standard that provides quantifiable, verifiable goals and measurement and drives continuous improvement in six key sustainability metrics – land use, soil carbon, water management, soil loss, greenhouse gas emissions, and energy efficiency.
- The sustainable cotton fibre programme also offers article-level supply chain transparency to all members.
WHAT THEY SAID:
The Climate Smart Cotton Program takes our industry to the next step utilising the Trust Protocol’s foundational reputation and our programme partners’ expertise so that growers can learn, grow and explore new opportunities for reducing climate impacts, as well as resources to aid with implementation.
— Gary Adams
President
US Cotton Trust Protocol
