Note: while most wool is sourced from sheep and these questions focus on the sheep’s wool industry, the majority of these questions are also relevant to the alpaca wool industry. The primary distinction between these industries is that mutilation practices facing sheep, like mulesing and tail docking, do not occur in the alpaca industry.

A brand way source wool from China, Italy, or another country which processes and scours wool, but this wool may likely be sourced from sheep shorn and reared in a different country.

Transparency is the first step to making responsible supply chain decisions.

Some wool is sourced from lambs who are shorn just before slaughter, and some of these lambs may be born on a farm and then moved into a feedlot prior to slaughter.

Additionally, many wool farms seeking to produce high quality fibre breed ewes (female breeding sheep) with rams (male, non-castrated or ‘whole’ sheep) from studs. A stud is a farm used specifically for breeding.

It is important to know about all locations associated with your supply chain, so that the treatment of animals in these locations can be understood and evaluated.

On some farms, when specific genetics are sought after for profit and production purposes, animals are artificially inseminated, with semen inserted into ewes. This semen is typically collected from rams through a process called ‘electro-ejaculation’. These practices are inherently exploitative and invasive.

Additionally, some wool production countries, such as Australia, practice winter lambing to reduce feed costs. This decision causes significant suffering and mortality for newborn lambs.

Selective breeding of sheep to produce more lambs, at the expense of ewe and lamb health, is also a problem which is important to understand and address.

Mulesing (where the skin on a lambs’ backside is cut off with shears) is a mutilative practice that elicits strong public opposition. Mulesing attempts to address fly-strike, a painful myiasis condition, however, it is often ineffective, while proven effective and non-invasive alternatives exist.

While mulesing is, fortunately, increasingly banned by brands, other mutilation practices also persist. Lambs are routinely tail docked without pain relief, using sharp knives, hot irons and tight rubber bands which cut circulation.

Surgical castration without pain relief is also a common and legal practice, as well as medication-free ear notching, where chunks of skin are cut out as a form of identification. Inflicting this level of suffering is unacceptable.

Numerous and continued investigations into wool supply chains across the globe have found that shearing is a frequent source of serious suffering and harm to sheep and alpacas alike. With little to no oversight, many animals have been documented beaten, kicked, hit, tied down and cut with sharp shears.

It is critical that brands understand what the shearing process looks like in their supply chain, and what processes are in place to minimise (elimination is not practically possible) risks associated with shearing.

Wool and meat production are a part of the same supply chain in most instances. As a result, live export, including by sea, is a permitted part of many wool supply chains, for sheep who are no longer profitable as wool-growers.

Live export is gruelling, dangerous and distressing, and can lead animals to slaughter sites which cause significant and drawn out suffering using out-dated practices. Many nations are now banning live export and the fashion industry should similarly move beyond sourcing through supply chains which involve live export.

Most sheep used for wool-growing are considered ‘dual-purpose’, also bred for meat. As such, the wool industry is a slaughter industry in most instances. Some young lambs are shorn before slaughter, and others kept for wool-growing for some years before they are no longer profitable, as their wool quality degrades, and slaughter becomes the most profitable choice. 

It is essential that brands understand the entirety of their wool supply chain, including what may occur following shearing, and the slaughter process utilised.

For example, what are the legal requirements in the slaughter location?

What form of stunning is used, and is this an effective form of stunning?

How long does the slaughter process typically take?

Are animals slaughtered in front of one another, or able to hear others in front of them being slaughtered?

Global animal protection laws routinely and intentionally exempt farmed animals, including sheep, from overarching animal welfare and protection laws.

As a result, cruel and painful practices are permitted for farmed animals, even if they are banned for other animals.

In top wool production countries, sheep are exempt at least to some extent from animal protection laws, or no nationwide animal protection laws exist. Legislation which dictates animal welfare is critical to understand, particularly when suppliers state that they comply with local laws as a means to assure brands of ‘best practice’.

The most commonly implemented Standards and certifications for wool include the Responsible Wool Standard and the ZQ Standard. While these standards address numerous animal welfare concerns, it is important to understand that both permit tail docking and castration without pain relief in some instances, as well as slaughter. Many brands receiving consultation from CFJ have not been aware of this.

This is a valuable reminder of the importance of understanding what accreditations and standards mean in practice, and what their limitations may be. It is important for brands to independently assess their material sourcing, rather than solely relying on a certification.

Given the variety of serious animal welfare risks associated with wool, as well as its significant environmental impact, a transition plan towards next-gen wool alternative materials is an effective way to mitigate these risks and future-proof production.

When addressing animal welfare concerns within their value chains, brands should consider the benefits of investing into material transition.