Sustainable Apparel and Textiles Conference

29th - 30th April 2026

Amsterdam, Netherlands

Liz Hershfield

Executive Director

COTTON USA™ and U.S. Cotton Trust Protocol

Liz Hershfield is the Executive Director of COTTON USA™, the export promotion arm of the National Cotton Council of America (NCC).

She joined COTTON USA™  in April 2025. As a non-profit agricultural trade association, COTTON USA™ advances the global reputation and demand for U.S. cotton by promoting its premium value as the preferred fiber for mills, manufacturers, brands, retailers, and consumers worldwide.  Liz is also Co-Director of the U.S. Cotton Trust Protocol, where she leads the organization’s global market development and supply chain teams.

With more than 30 years in the fashion industry, Liz has built deep expertise in sustainability, global sourcing, product development, and end-to-end supply chain strategy—alongside a long-standing commitment to U.S. cotton.

She has led transformative supply chain and sustainability initiatives at globally recognized brands including J.Crew, Madewell, Bonobos, and Old Navy, and later founded Green-ish, a consultancy guiding businesses through the complexities of ESG and supply chain management.

Her leadership and vision for sustainable fashion have been widely recognized. Liz received the Textile Exchange Ryan Young Climate+ Award for pioneering a regenerative cotton program that directly supported U.S. cotton farmers. She has also been honored with The Lead’s “The Direct 60” award and named to the Rivet 50 Index for her influence in the denim industry.

Liz's sessionsView full agenda

Day 0

Tuesday 28th April 2026

Time
Session title
Session type
14:45 - 17:15
Workshop
17:30 - 18:30
Networking
Day 1

Wednesday 29th April 2026

Time
Session title
Session type
10:00 - 10:45
Case study
11:30 - 12:25
Net-zero: Everyone pays for inaction. Who pays for action? 
Marks and Spencer | Soorty Enterprises | Good Fashion Fund | Action Speaks Louder | Sustainable & Social
Plenary
12:25 - 13:00
Plenary
13:00 - 14:00
14:00 - 14:45
14:45 - 15:30
15:30 - 16:00
16:30 - 17:15
17:15 - 18:15
Day 2

Thursday 30th April 2026

Time
Session title
Session type
09:00 - 10:00
The consumption cyclone: Can circularity fix overproduction? 
Hirdaramani Group | Reju | Primark | Tapestry | Sustainabelle
Plenary
10:25 - 10:55
10:55 - 11:30
Transitioning to regenerative cotton: Impact, opportunity, and operational reality from farm to brand 
Turnrow Farm Services | adidas | COTTON USA™ and U.S. Cotton Trust Protocol
Case study
00:45 - 01:45
13:45 - 14:10
A just transition: How we can centre waste pickers, not just waste, in the circular economy 
Saamuhika Shakti | H&M Foundation | Cradle to Cradle Products Innovation Institute
Plenary
14:10 - 14:50
Plenary
13:45 - 14:45
The other room
14:50 - 15:25
Emotional durability: Why consumers neglect the clothes they own – and how psychology can help 
University of Amsterdam | Zalando | Axel Arigato / Informed Collective
Plenary
15:25 - 15:35
Closing reflections from the next generation of designers 
Institut Francais de la Mode | Institut Français de la Mode
Plenary