Textile Exchange Releases New Responsible Mohair Standard and Updated Responsible Wool Standard

LUBBOCK, Texas, March 18, 2020 /PRNewswire-PRWeb/ -- Textile Exchange announces the release of the Responsible Mohair Standard (RMS) alongside the first revision to the Responsible Wool Standard (RWS) that was originally released in 2016.

The newly released Responsible Mohair Standard verifies and identifies mohair produced in farming systems that respects animal welfare and the environment. The RMS applies a strong assurance system to perform regular audits of the farms and to track the material to the final product. The RMS is designed to ensure that animal welfare outcomes are delivered, and that the goats are humanely treated, healthy and well cared for.

"The RMS helps everyone to identify room for improvement on their farms and in their business. It also helps to provide farmers some peace of mind as to where they are up to standard, and even reassures them of areas where they excel. The idea that everyone's facilities and practices need to adhere to a minimum standard is an outstanding idea," said Marx Strydom, Mohair producer from the Jansenville region of South Africa.

The Responsible Mohair Standard was based on, and is closely aligned with, the Responsible Wool Standard and the two standards are combined for the supply chain. Both the RMS and the RWS are structured around the Textile Exchange Animal Welfare Framework, which sets out the principles and expectations that guide and connect Textile Exchange's animal welfare standards.

The Responsible Wool Standard has seen strong adoption across the supply chain with certified farms in all key wool producing countries. The revision covers updates and clarifications to the animal welfare and land management modules, including the introduction of additional requirements and guidance around biodiversity. It also introduces a set of social welfare requirements.

Giovanni Schneider, CEO of The Schneider Group, said, "We believe the Responsible Wool Standard is addressing a specific market need. It is our task, as a trusted partner between producers and consumers all over the world, to convey this message to all our precious suppliers."

Most wool sheep and angora goats around the world are raised in extensive grazing systems. These farming systems have a high welfare potential as they are systems that can meet the welfare needs of the animals.

The goals of the Responsible Mohair and the Responsible Wool Standards are to provide the industry with the best possible tool to:

• Recognize the best practices of farmers.
• Ensure that wool and mohair come from farms with a progressive approach to managing their land, and from sheep and goat that have been treated responsibly.
• Create an industry benchmark that will drive improvements in animal care and land management and social welfare where needed.
• Provide a robust chain of custody system from farm to final product.

Pedro Otegui, Director of Uruguay-based wool combing mill Lanas Trinidad, said, "Lanas Trinidad receives great pleasure in this new RWS Standard release. We think the world and its people need to keep going in this direction of having proper working conditions, being committed to animal welfare and responsible land management, ensuring good stewardship of the environment and generation of energy with renewable resources. We must deliver to future generations a better environment than the one we inherited!"

Textile Exchange is hosting a webinar focused on the Responsible Mohair Standard release and Responsible Wool Standard revision on March 23rd at 12pm EST. Register here.

Access the digital press kit here.

SOURCE Textile Exchange