The National Cotton Council’s export promotions arm, Cotton Council International, is making U.S. cotton the preferred fiber for end users — mills, manufacturers, brands, retailers and consumers.

Does CCI have a new initiative?
In 2017, Cotton Council International launched “COTTON USA is the Cotton the World Trusts,” a campaign being carried to more than 50 countries and one that is underpinning CCI’s demand-building activities. Events ranging from the “WHAT’S NEW IN COTTON™” initiative to COTTON USA Buyers’ Tours and Sourcing Fairs are enabling CCI to showcase U.S. cotton’s quality, sustainability, transparency and premium value — all valid reasons for trusting U.S. cotton. Initial results are that CCI is 1) delivering profitability across the U.S. cotton industry and 2) driving export growth of raw fiber, yarn and other cotton products.

What message is the campaign reinforcing?
Regarding sustainability, the campaign notes that U.S. cotton, which is governed by a strict regulatory system, is using precision agriculture to achieve high quality and yield with less water and chemicals. In addition, science-based metrics and benchmarks developed by Field to Market: The Alliance for Sustainable Agriculture are being used to assess U.S. cotton’s environmental impacts and to identify opportunities for improvement.

The campaign also is spreading the word about the NCC’s new COTTON USA Sustainability Task Force’s 2025 goals. As I announced in my October column, these goals are reducing: 1) the amount of land needed to produce a pound of cotton fiber by 13 percent; 2) soil loss by 50 percent, in balance with new soil formation; 3) energy to produce seed cotton and ginned lint by 15 percent; and 4) greenhouse gas emissions by 39 percent. In addition, the campaign is working to increase: 1) water use efficiency (more fiber per gallon) by 18 percent; and 2) soil carbon in fields by 30 percent.

What about quality, transparency andpremium value?
The campaign is letting U.S. cotton’s end users know that intensive research and superior technology have produced a U.S. cotton fiber that’s now whiter, finer, stronger and cleaner. Those are valuable quality attributes that CCI is using to attract more user mills, manufacturers, brands and retailers into the COTTON USA™ Mark licensing program. Also being shared is our commitment to educating U.S. producers and ginners on the latest technologies and practices for eliminating potential contamination sources.

Regarding transparency, U.S. cotton’s customers are being reminded that we are the only country that tests 100 percent of its bales — using the latest computer classing technology to ensure every bale is fairly and accurately classed. Among premium value elements offered to U.S. cotton’s end users are multiple education forums, networking opportunities and COTTON USA’s new global website, www.cottonusa.org, which provides timely economic data and global supplier search capabilities.

CCI also continually strives to be innovative. One example is its recently launched COTTON USA Mill Exchange Program in Southeast Asia. It is enabling textile mills to see firsthand how their competitors are successfully using U.S. cotton in their mills to increase profits. More information about COTTON USA’s message of sustainability, quality, transparency and premium value is at https://cottonusa.org/our-promise.
Gary Adams is president/CEO of the National Cotton Council of America. He and other NCC leaders contribute columns on this Cotton Farming page.

Gary Adams is president/CEO of the National Cotton Council of America. He and other NCC leaders contribute columns on this Cotton Farming page.