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Jordan assists clients in developing agricultural research policy/priorities and in their assessment of sustainable agriculture and environmental and social responsibility plans. He is a charter member of the multi-stakeholder coalition–Field to Market-Alliance for Sustainable Agriculture Outcomes and a director for Agricenter International and Delta BioRenewables. He previously served as vice president, Technical Services for the National Cotton Council (NCC) and is an advisor to the NCC’s COTTON USA Sustainability Task Force. He earned a B.S. in Agricultural Engineering from the University of Georgia, and both a M.Sc. in Agricultural Engineering and a Ph.D. in Engineering from Clemson.

Launched in 2018 and sponsored by Cotton Incorporated, the RIVET 50 is a diverse group of leaders who support the growth and improvement of the denim industry and represent five categories: executive, designer, retailer, influencer and supply chain. 

To read more about Dr. Andrew Jordan’s contributions, please visit his RIVET 50 profile.

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Efforts shift to traceability within the supply chain, as brands in North America work to keep sustainability initiatives afloat during pandemic

MEMPHIS, TENN. – (July 15, 2020) – A recent global survey shows 54 percent of sustainability leaders at apparel and textile brands say they’ve seen their customers’ demands for environmentally sustainable practices and products increase since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, but 59 percent said they believe customers will still continue to prioritize price when making purchases.  

The U.S. Cotton Trust Protocol conducted this survey to find how sustainability programs at brands and retailers had changed in a post-COVID world.

The survey found that 43% of respondents believe COVID-19 has had a positive impact on investments in sustainability efforts during this period, while 40% believe it has had a negative impact. Likewise, they believe their customers are facing the same struggle between their pocketbooks and the environmental concerns — when asked to rank how they believe customers will prioritize their purchases in the next year, respondents ranked the top two priorities as “Getting the best possible deal” and “Brand or retailer alignment with their personal values.” 

“It’s clear that COVID-19 has caused economic challenges up and down the supply chain, but this survey shows that companies and their customers remain focused on sustainability,” said Dr. Gary Adams, president of the U.S. Cotton Trust Protocol.

“As we enter recovery in many countries, systems like the Trust Protocol will be more important than ever so brands can have the data they need to show they are meeting their science-based targets,” said Dr. Adams.

 

Vocal customer demand for sustainability 

Fifty-four percent of respondents said that their customers’ demands for more environmentally sustainable practices and products has “significantly” or “somewhat” increased since the beginning of the pandemic, and 42% said that those customers are also more vocal in those demands. Almost half of all respondents seemed to believe that their customers are more likely to hold them accountable at the register for those actions – almost half (48%) said they believed customers would switch brands if their company didn’t meet its sustainability commitments. 

Continued focus on sustainability in the supply chain

While some (9%) report pausing most or all sustainability initiatives due to COVID-19, most companies continue to focus their sustainability efforts on manufacturing (25%), sourcing of raw materials (25%) or traceability (11%).

European brands continue to invest in sustainability efforts, despite COVID-19

COVID-19’s impact on companies’ investments in sustainability initiatives differs drastically by market  – North American respondents are least likely to invest, where only 26% of respondents believe COVID-19 has had a positive impact on sustainability investments at their company. While in Europe, six out of 10 (63%) respondents said the pandemic has had a positive impact on their company’s sustainability efforts, and in Asia, 46% of respondents said they believe there have been increases in proactive investments in sustainability initiatives. With Asian European sustainability initiatives benefiting from the impacts of COVID-19, market-specific conditions may play a larger role in the future of sustainability than global factors.

Many companies are looking for ways to buoy their sustainability programs through the pandemic – focused on holding the course with increased help of outside partnerships (62%) until they can afford to reinvest in big new innovations. Meanwhile, they are increasingly focused on improving the transparency in environmental reporting (59%); improving sustainability in sourcing (63%); and aligning with external sustainability standards or protocols for their existing programs (59%).

Methodology

U.S. Cotton Trust Protocol sponsored the online survey, issued from June 21-July 5, 2020, among 138 senior executives involved in or fully in charge of sustainability decision-making at their company from eight global markets.

Respondents were recruited using a combination of Sourcing Journal and an industry-leading panel partner.

Respondents from North America, Europe and Asia are strongly represented in this research. Results reflect experiences across a diverse range of textile-based industries: Home goods, footwear, accessories, fabrics and apparel.

About the U.S. Cotton Trust Protocol®

In a period of ever-greater supply chain scrutiny and a growing demand for transparency, the U.S. Cotton Trust Protocol® will set a standard for more sustainably grown cotton. It brings quantifiable and verifiable goals and measurement to the issue of responsibly-grown cotton production and drives continuous improvement in key sustainability metrics.

The Trust Protocol underpins and verifies U.S. cotton’s progress through sophisticated data collection and independent third-party verification. Choosing Trust Protocol cotton will give brands

and retailers the critical assurances they need that the cotton fiber element of their supply chain is more sustainably grown with lower environmental and social risk. Brands and retailers will gain access to U.S. cotton with sustainability credentials proven via Field to Market, measured via the Fieldprint Calculator and verified with Control Union Certifications.

The U.S. Cotton Trust Protocol® is overseen by a multi-stakeholder Board of Directors comprised of representatives from brands and retailers, civil society and independent sustainability experts as well as the cotton-growing industry, including growers, ginners, merchants, wholesalers and cooperatives, mills and cottonseed handlers. 

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“U.S. cotton’s sustainability provides COTTON USA with a unique selling point, particularly with the development of the U.S. Cotton Trust Protocol®,” CCI Executive Director Bruce Atherley said. “U.S. cotton is a raw material that is leading the way in terms of sustainable practices – something that global brands now demand from their suppliers. The U.S. Cotton Trust Protocol® is committed to raising the bar for responsible, sustainable farming methods.” 

The new U.S. Cotton Trust Protocol® is a tangible and transparent snapshot of U.S. cotton growing practices and the gains in sustainability standards resulting from them. 

“The Trust Protocol will provide U.S. cotton’s customers the confidence that they are sourcing, spinning and selling sustainably-produced U.S. cotton,” Atherley said. “Through the collection of robust data, the Trust Protocol will remove risk by giving U.S. cotton’s customers the evidence they need to demonstrate progress toward the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals and other sustainability pledges – making the Trust Protocol the right choice for today and tomorrow.” 

COTTON USA also invites attendees to visit the booth to learn about its collaboration and sourcing opportunities with leading brands and retailers around the world, as well as how to license the COTTON USA Mark, which quantitative consumer research proves is of high value to consumers and can drive both preference and higher prices. 

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Cotton Council International (CCI) is a non-profit trade association that promotes U.S. cotton fiber and manufactured cotton products around the globe with our COTTON USA Mark. Our reach extends to more than 50 countries through 20 offices around the world. With more than 60 years of experience, CCI’s mission is to make U.S. cotton the preferred fiber for mills/manufacturers, brands/retailers and consumers, commanding a value-added premium that delivers profitability across the U.S. cotton industry and drives export growth of fiber, yarn and other cotton products.

Find Out More

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“We’re thrilled that COTTON USA is taking the lead when it comes to traceability,” said Rupert Hodges, Executive Director, Oritain. “We want to support COTTON USA who are making a conscious effort to find real, workable ways of farming more sustainably. The result is an incredibly high-quality crop that not only performs well but supports the environment. Now through Oritain, customers who choose U.S. cotton can have total confidence that they are getting the product that they sourced.” 

While this level of traceability is new, the U.S. cotton industry has always strived to produce and deliver high quality cotton that is the most sustainable cotton in the world. This ambition is already being realized through improved fiber properties, increased productivity and a shrinking environmental footprint.  All cotton-producing regions in the U.S. are aiming to further reduce greenhouse gas emissions, soil loss, water, energy and land usage. 

“This partnership with Oritain will provide COTTON USA with a unique selling point in both domestic and export markets,” said Bruce Atherley, Executive Director, Cotton Council International. “Now U.S. cotton will offer the highest level of end-to-end traceability in the industry, combined with a raw material that is leading the way in terms of sustainable practices – two things that global clothing brands now demand from their suppliers.” 

To achieve the level of traceability that the industry is demanding, Oritain’s unique method applies forensic science to detect trace elements in the cotton itself. Soil composition and other environmental factors give the cotton an inherent ‘fingerprint’ specific to each location – what Oritain calls the Origin Fingerprint.  This is the only way to be absolutely sure of where particular cotton was grown. Cotton can be tested at any stage on its journey from farm to shop floor, giving buyers complete assurance that the product has not been substituted along the way. 

Guaranteeing origin will address traceability challenges faced by the global cotton industry, including minimizing the risk of supply chain partners blending the product with lower quality fibers.

“Global supply chains are incredibly complex and the potential for blending and other illegal activity in the production of cotton textile products is large. However, given that Oritain’s Origin Fingerprint cannot be altered or faked, COTTON USA and their customers can be safe in the knowledge that their product is exactly what it says it is,” said Hodges.

This new partnership follows a successful pilot program and rigorous blind test for Oritain, during which samples were collected across Arkansas, Mississippi, Oklahoma, and Tennessee, and subsequently identified with 100% accuracy.   

About Oritain

Oritain analyses the actual product itself, tracing it back to its true origin using advanced science. With its team of experts in forensic science and data analysis, Oritain creates Origin Fingerprints to match products back to their claimed origin from any point in the supply chain. They work with some of the largest producers, manufacturers and retailers across the fashion, food, and pharmaceutical industries.

About Cotton Council International

Cotton Council International (CCI) is a non-profit trade association that promotes U.S. cotton fiber and manufactured cotton products around the globe with our COTTON USA Mark. Our reach extends to more than 50 countries through 20 offices around the world. With more than 60 years of experience, CCI’s mission is to make U.S. cotton the preferred fiber for mills/manufacturers, brands/retailers and consumers, commanding a value-added premium that delivers profitability across the U.S. cotton industry and drives export growth of fiber, yarn and other cotton products. 

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