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US Cotton Trust Protocol is pleased to appoint Averum to provide additional Third-Party verification support after seeing the highest number of grower enrollment to date. With a 120% increase in grower enrollment since its launch three years ago, the program now requires a significantly higher number of independent verifications.
Averum: Elevating Sustainability Assessment
Averum assists agricultural companies in assessing, managing, and communicating their environmental and social sustainability. Their auditors throughout the United States have extensive experience in the food and agriculture industry. Averum’s auditing philosophy revolves around striking a balance that respects the time of agricultural professionals and is minimally invasive. They operate as a subsidiary of Pinion, a leading national food and agriculture business consulting and accounting firm. Averum will be working in conjunction with Control Union Certifications who have been assisting with the Trust Protocol’s third-party verifications since 2020.
Verifications: Bridging the Trust Gap
“Verifications play a critical role for the Trust Protocol as they bridge the gap between growers’ self-reporting and actual data, providing assurances to the brands and retailers on the sustainability of their raw cotton sourcing,” said Dr. Gary Adams, President of the U.S. Cotton Trust Protocol. “To ensure we are staying committed to our independent verification methodology as we see continued growth in grower participation, we have chosen to partner with Averum which specializes in environmental and social sustainability, both of which are fundamental components of the Trust Protocol.” US Trust cotton protocol averum
Precision through Proportionate Sampling
The Trust Protocol utilizes the square root model for proportional sampling to better represent grower members throughout the Cotton Belt. As participation increases, the methodology remains valid and statistically significant. Visit the Trust Protocol’s website to learn more about the program’s verification process.
Measurable Sustainability: The Trust Protocol’s Distinctive Approach
The Trust Protocol is also the only system 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.
Transparency through Data Aggregation
The program captures key environmental and social data under a farm-level, science-based system, and reports these annually on an aggregated basis.
Industry Unity for Sustainable Progress
The Trust Protocol has welcomed more than 1,600 brand, retailer, mill, and manufacturer members, including Levi Strauss & Co., Old Navy, Gap, American Eagle Outfitters, Inc., and J.Crew.
US Trust cotton protocol averum Source: U.S. Cotton Trust Protocol
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