Broader sustainability guidelines

CAPE WOOLS SA

broader sustainability guidelines

‘The term “sustainability” can be interpreted in a variety of ways. For the purposes of the textile industry it must be considered within a recognised framework from wool production to retail consumer’, comments Deon Saayman, General Manager Cape Wools South Africa.

As an industry body representing the value chain in South Africa, from woolgrowers to exporters and processors, Cape Wools SA (CWSA) has a leading role in the implementation of guidelines in certification for the wool industry. ‘South African wool growers should regard sustainability guidelines as an opportunity to further demonstrate the excellent practices already performed by them, as most growers already meet these criteria’, he says.

‘We have successfully rolled out broader sustainability guidelines, based on the initial Cape Wools Code of Best Practice. The guidelines are measured onfarm and based on the principles contained in various standards, including the RWS. The rapid growth in demand for RWS certified wool has probably made this standard the most recognised in the global textile sector and the Cape Wool’s standard will be a good measuring tool for producers.The assessment of a producer’s practices is a completely paperless process

and will enable every farmer to be certified as sustainable, irrespective of the size of their farming operation. ‘The industry standard is known as the ‘Sustainable Cape Wool Standard’ (SCWSA) and is displayed as such in the sales catalogue’, he continues. ‘This creates the basis for a sustainable, traceable wool supply, integrated into a single platform, incorporating critical bio-security recording principles.

‘All the certification standards completed successfully are integrated into one sustainability platform, creating a trustworthy sustainable wool certification source for the international market, thus becoming a “one stop shop”. put in the wool brand starts on the farm. To ensure that trust can be established with the consumer, we need to ensure there is transparency across the entire supply chain, and this starts with a traceable source from the farm. South African wool producers have a distinct advantage in that mulesing is not practiced in South Africa’, Deon Saayman says.

‘The on-farm assessments are performed under contract by the National Wool Growers Association (NWGA), with 3rd party verification being part of the assessment process.This ensures further credibility to the verification process. A shearing application is also in the process of being developed to further enhance the transparency of onfarm production processes.’ ‘Although certified and sustainably produced wool may attract a premium within certain markets during certain cycles, it is predominantly an assurance to the market’, he adds. ‘Today fashion brands are under pressure to maintain a defendable position when it comes to sustainability of the raw material supply chains. Consumers want to know that they can trust the brand they are buying and that the product they are wearing was produced in an ethical manner.

‘The SCWS is an industry owned standard and Cape Wools, as representative Industry body, is excited of the role the South African Industry can play in providing market driven supply chain intelligence in order to provide assurance and trust for users downstream.’