Textile Insight

Q: As an agricultural researcher, what commitments and practices have you seen from U.S. cotton growers that show they're improving the sustainability of their farms? Cotton can be a difficult crop to grow and manage, and the vast majority of cotton farms are generational, so these growers insist on doing their best so they can so they can hand their farms down many more times. As long as there is a practical and/or economic case to a change in management practice, cotton growers are extremely willing and curious to try new things. As an engineer, I tend to focus my research on technologies and how they affect sustainability. Many growers have adopted site-specific precision ag technologies that help them increase their efficiencies by placing pesticides and fertilizers where they are needed and avoiding overuse where they are not. ere has also been an increase in use of drones for remote crop assessments to aid in decision making. e use of cover crops has increased significantly throughout the Cotton Belt, keeping the soil in place, increasing water infiltration especially in no-till or conservation- till ground, improving the soil's biodiversity, and keeping weeds at bay during the winter months. Q: The UN has set science-based targets to improve greenhouse gas emissions, water and energy usage, land efficiency and soil loss by 2025. What changes would you like to see brands/industry put in place with their cotton sourcing to achieve these goals? At the most basic level, I believe that sourcing U.S. cotton is a good step. U.S. cotton is widely known as being high quality, and it is grown in accordance with U.S. environmental and worker protection regulations. Beyond sourcing from the U.S., brands can choose to purchase cotton through a sustainability program for added assurance. ere are several of these programs globally, but the U.S. Cotton Trust Protocol is quickly rising to the top. e Protocol's emphasis on measurement and independent verification can provide confidence and trust that a brand is using sustainably grown cotton and producing a product that consumers can believe in. Q: Do you consider measurement important for brands/industry to improve their sustainability practices? Why or why not? Is it equally or more important at farm level? Absolutely – we can't navigate the path of continuous improvement if we don't know where we are right now. Consumers are looking for trust in their brands – to me this means full transparency with an eye towards the entire supply chain. Farms are an integral piece of that supply chain, but oen bear the burden of proof for a product. To help them meet those burdens of proof, we have to help growers recognize areas for improvement. Q: Why did you decide to join the Trust Protocol board? What do you hope to see it accomplish? I strongly believe in the mission and science- based approach of the U.S. Cotton Trust Protocol. e Trust Protocol is supporting US cotton growers by ensuring market access while providing brands the measureable and verifiable data that consumers demand. My hope is that there is a large market demand for Trust Protocol cotton that leads to mass grower participation in the Trust Protocol, which will help the fashion and textile industry as a whole reach its science-based targets. I also want to help the great stories of our U.S. cotton growers reach the average consumer. It is important for consumers to see how good of a job these growers are already doing and tie their t-shirt purchase directly to a farmer's ability to continue to improve the sustainability on their farm. n The president of the U.S. Cotton Trust Protocol Dr. Gary Adams recently sat down with one of the Trust Protocol's board members, Dr. Lori Duncan, to discuss sustainability in the U.S. cotton industry, and how she has seen U.S. cotton growers continually improve their growing practices by trying the new technologies she works on as an Agricultural Sustainability Specialist with the University of Tennessee. Dr. Lori Duncan Agricultural Sustainability Specialist, University of Tennessee, Knoxville; board member, U.S. Cotton Trust Protocol textileinsight.com September/October 2020 ~ Textile Insight • 29

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