AginED
#
FOR E FUTURIA G R R S! U PR EN E
G
Volume 59 I June 7, 2021 I email: agined@globalHQ.co.nz I w w w.farmersweekly.co.nz
CAMPAIGN FOR WOOL The campaign for wool is about promoting and teaching people about all the amazing properties, uses and features of wool. Its patron is HRH The Prince of Wales. Wool has a plethora of amazing qualities and uses including being natural and renewable, its sun safe, flame-retardant, biodegradable, breathable, non-allergenic, durable and elastic, easy care, multi-climatic and naturally insulating. That is a lot of amazing characteristics for one product!
WOOL PRODUCTION FROM FARM TO FINISHED PRODUCT
THE GRAPH BELOW GIVES YOU A VISUAL REPRESENTATION OF THE VERY BROAD RANGE OF USES OF WOOL:
1 Go to https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9fgInIHWVB8 to watch a video on the process of taking wool from the farm through to producing carpet. 2 Why do we shear sheep? 3 What is the job of the women in the shed laying out the fleece? 4 What type of wool is used to make carpet?
Taking it further 1 When did carpets go from being all wool based to having synthetic counterparts? 2 Why did synthetic products seem to be such a good option at that time?
WOOL IN SCHOOLS
Part of the Campaign for Wool is Wool in Schools. This is a programme for schools where they help students to understand the place of wool in our lives with real life interactive resources in their “Wool Shed”. This is a converted shipping container that visit’s schools, giving teachers the opportunity to let their students get hands on experience with wool and its many uses and features. The wools in school’s website has lots of great curriculum based activities including an activity book that can be downloaded from: https://woolinschools.nz/workbook/
CAN YOU MAKE ANY ADDITIONS TO THE DIFFERENT SECTIONS OF THE GRAPH?
Currently wool carpets are only 87% natural with the use of synthetic latex binders and primary backing being necessary. Cavalier Bremworth has a 1.9m government grant from MPI to investigate and develop alternatives to these. This grant will be used to co-fund Bremworth’s 4.9m programme to research and develop natural and green chemistry-based alternatives to the remaining synthetic compounds. NZ wool is of course 100% biodegradable, renewable and
sustainable which is why Bremworth embarked on being a wool only carpet and rug company. They believe that consumers are becoming increasingly concerned with the life cycle of products. Do you think this is the case? Do you think that all consumers feel this way? Can you think of reasons that someone may not be concerned about these things? What would need to happen to change these consumers' perspective?