Ralph Lauren joins US Cotton Trust Protocol

Ralph Lauren has joined the US Cotton Trust Protocol as it looks to scale sustainable practices in US cotton production. The move is to support Ralph Lauren’s ‘Timeless by Design’ global citizenship and sustainability strategy to ensure that the company has a lasting, positive impact on the planet and the communities it serves across three pillars: Create with Intent, Protect the Environment, and Champion Better Lives.

By joining the U.S. Cotton Trust Protocol, Ralph Lauren commits to improving six key sustainability areas - land use, soil carbon, water management, soil loss, greenhouse gas emissions, and energy efficiency. The Trust Protocol integrates these sustainability metrics from Field to Market’s Fieldprint Platform, enabling enrolled growers to measure the environmental impacts of their operation and identify opportunities for continuous improvement.

Ralph Lauren states that as cotton makes up more than three-quarters of the brand’s total material use, it is already committed to improving soil health through programmes that support regenerative agriculture practices and rigorous impact measurement, as it believes that these efforts “are fundamental to building a resilient cotton industry in the US and globally”.

Ralph Lauren aims to scale sustainable practices

Katie Ioanilli, chief global impact and communications officer at Ralph Lauren, said in a statement: “Cotton makes up more than three-quarters of our total material use, and we are committed to ensuring this critical fibre is fully sustainably sourced in our portfolio by 2025.

“Our ambition requires collaboration and partnership with organisations like the Trust Protocol as we work together to make progress on sustainable cotton goals – within our business and the winder industry.”

Dr Gary Adams, president of the U.S. Cotton Trust Protocol, added: “Ralph Lauren’s Timeless by Design strategy emphasises the importance of respecting the planet and adopting science-based practices that help protect natural resources, both of which are key pillars of the Trust Protocol.

“The programme was designed to enable improvements in soil health and better management of natural resources by supporting the transition to more sustainable and responsible techniques.”

The Trust Protocol is aligned with the UN Sustainable Development Goals, recognised by Textile Exchange and Forum for the Future, and part of the Sustainable Apparel Coalition, Cotton 2025 Sustainable Cotton Challenge, Cotton 2040 and Cotton Up initiatives. It was recently awarded funding through the USDA Partnership for Climate-Smart Commodities pilot projects to build markets for climate-smart cotton and provide technical and financial assistance to over 1,000 US cotton farmers to advance the adoption of climate-smart practices on more than one million acres. The project is a multi-stakeholder initiative that includes the Soil Health Institute, which the Ralph Lauren Corporate Foundation supports through the U.S. Regenerative Cotton Fund.