The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) has launched the Great American Cotton Plan, a comprehensive initiative aimed at revitalising the American cotton economy, strengthening domestic textile manufacturing and expanding global trade opportunities for U.S.-grown cotton.

Announced by U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Brooke L. Rollins, the programme seeks to address mounting challenges faced by cotton growers, including rising input costs, foreign competition and the increasing dominance of synthetic fibres in global textile consumption.

“American cotton has long been the backbone of rural economies, but producers have faced years of mounting pressure from rising costs, unfair competition and the growing use of synthetic alternatives,” said Rollins. “The Great American Cotton Plan is designed to restore profitability for growers, rebuild domestic textile manufacturing and reinforce cotton’s position as the fibre of choice.”

The initiative comes as U.S. cotton producers face a fifth consecutive year of negative returns, with USDA estimating sector-wide losses of approximately US$ 2.6 billion across 9 million planted acres in the upcoming crop year. The country has also witnessed a sharp decline in textile processing infrastructure, with the number of cotton gins falling from 2,254 in 1980 to 446 today.

At the centre of the plan is the promotion of natural fibre consumption through the ‘Plant Not Plastic’ campaign, which encourages consumers to shift from petroleum-based synthetic textiles to cotton-based products.

The strategy is built around four key pillars, boosting domestic cotton consumption, expanding textile manufacturing capacity, improving cotton trade competitiveness and strengthening risk protection for growers.

Among the key measures announced are increased support for cotton processors under rural development loan programmes, higher payment rates under the Economic Adjustment Assistance for Textile Mills programme, enhanced export promotion through trade missions and expanded crop insurance tools for cotton farmers.

The USDA will also continue supporting international cotton trade through programmes such as COTTON USA licensing initiatives and has secured commitments from markets including Indonesia and Bangladesh to support future U.S. cotton purchases.

The plan aligns with broader efforts to promote natural fibres as sustainable alternatives to synthetic materials, while supporting long-term supply chain resilience across the cotton-to-textile value chain.

USDA said it will work closely with growers, manufacturers, retailers and policymakers to advance implementation and reinforce the competitiveness of American cotton across global textile markets.