Wool Industries Australia announces support for Australian Wool Sustainability Scheme over RWS and Authentico

Wool Industries Australia has thrown its weight behind the Australian Wool Sustainability Scheme, recognising it as the preferred certification framework for Australian greasy wool over more dominant schemes currently on the market. The leading wool industry body announced its support for the scheme on September 9, at a time when sustainability and mulesing, and their impact on global market demand, is leading industry discussions. Several industry leaders have called for a proactive plan on mulesing to protect the long-term profitability and market reputation of Australian wool and ensure its sustainable future in a competitive global landscape. Currently, two voluntary voluntary integrity schemes dominate the Merino and crossbred market in Australia. This includes the Responsible Wool Standard which is a voluntary, global certification developed by Textile Exchange, and Authentico, an integrity scheme by world leader in the sourcing, processing and supply of high-quality precious animal fibres. Wool Industries Australia chair David Michell said sustainability certification was becoming essential to maintaining access to premium global markets and building demand for Australian wool. “While we recognise that it is currently a challenging environment for the wool industry, now more than ever we believe it is important to demonstrate that we are listening and responding to customer expectations in a way that is practical, efficient and built for Australian conditions,” he said. “Certification is no longer a niche demand, it’s rapidly becoming a market expectation.” The Australian Wool Sustainability Scheme was developed by and is owned by the Australian wool industry, and designed for Australian conditions, production systems and regulations. It is managed by Australian Wool Exchange and launched in mid-2024 as a revamped wool integrity program that replaced the SustainaWOOL Integrity Scheme. It offers two accreditation types – SustainaWOOL for wool from non-mulesed sheep and ResponsiWOOL for wool from mulesed sheep that are administered appropriate pain relief. Meanwhile, RWS requires strict standards and certifications for animal welfare, including protocols for managing flystrike — mulesing is prohibited. Authentico’s mulesing requirement is that wool must come from non-mulesed sheep or, if mulesing is performed, it must include pre-operative pain relief. Mr Michell said by backing AWSS the organisation was ensuring Australian wool growers are recognised for their sustainability practices, while strengthening demand and keeping Australian wool at the forefront of customer expectations, and doing so efficiently. “AWSS also has an important role to play in the global certification landscape, serving as a credible input into downstream sustainability programs and certified supply chains,” he said. WIA members — including Australian Council of Wool Exporters & Processors, Australian Superfine Wool Growers’ Association and Australian Wool Innovation — will be encouraging all consumer facing certification schemes to use the AWSS as their greasy data collection, verification and validation tool for wool sourced within Australia. “AWSS has been independently developed, aligns with the Australian Sheep Sustainability Framework, and reflects Australia’s production systems,” Mr Michell said. “It’s the right framework to deliver more certified wool to market while reducing costs and avoiding duplication for industry.”