Another international fashion giant has slapped a ban on Australian wool from mulesed sheep. (It is also opposed to ‘clip mulesing’, an alternative Australian farmers hoped would be acceptable to PETA and clothing retailers.
An Anti-Mulsing Website. An Anti-Mulsing image
German-based Clemens & August (C&A), with more than 1,100 stores in 16 European countries, is the latest to join Hugo Boss, Abercrombie & Fitch, Timberland, H&M and more than 10 other major retailers in the boycott.
C&A posted a statement on its website announcing it “fervently opposes” mulesing and will direct its buyers not to source wool from farmers who practice the controversial technique.
The company also raised concerns the Australian wool industry would fail to meet a deadline to phase out mulesing by 2010.
C&A’s move followed lobbying from US-based animal rights group, People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA), which has led the global anti-mulesing campaign against Australian farmers.
“For C&A, the current situation is not tolerable and alternative methods as previously advised by the Australian Wool Industry are urgently needed,” C&A states on the “social responsibility” page of its website.
“As C&A does not see any significant progress we get the impression that the Australian Wool Industry is not in a position to meet the deadline to eliminate this practice until 2010.”
Mulesing involves cutting skin from the hindquarters of sheep to prevent fly larvae from feeding on the tissue, but PETA claims the practice is cruel.
PETA has targeted Australian wool farmers because mulesing is predominantly performed in Australia.
(This information was gained from AAP)
So, what do you think? Despite the ethical/practical points of view, doesn’t this argument come down to whether the market is big enough for those producers who continue to mulse?
What do you think?
Please leave a comment below for your peers.
Livestock producer said
Adidas joins ban on mulesed wool
Global sportswear giant becomes latest major company to ban wool sourced from mulesed sheep Read more…
Is The Mulesing Argument Similar To MLA’s Push With LPA, Cattle & Flock Care, MSA etc? « Rural Australia said
[...] December 8, 2008 at 2:50 pm · Filed under Livestock issues, MLA, NLIS, farming, livestock, meat industry, rural australia, rural issues, supermarkets Wool buyers aren’t able to sell mulesed wool to fabric suppliers of large garment makers because consumers just won’t buy such product. (This is why the large garment makers are so vehently agaist mulesed wool – it’s an economic reality whether producers like it or not unfortunately.) This could be considered as a type of QA requirement on wool producers. For more see this article or the previous Rural Australia mulesing article. [...]
Beef Association Supports Mulesing « Rural Australia said
[...] i) on mulesing</b></a><a href=”http://ruralaustralia.wordpress.com/2008/05/21/is-mulesing-a-lost-battle-german-clothing-giant-bans-…“><b>Post ii) on [...]
Lexi said
this is stupid. im sorry…. but how is this even possible.
without mulesing the sheep suffer an absolute tonne of prolonged pain as maggots feast on their lower digestive tract. Is that what PETA calls “animal Cruelty”. Surely if there are methods of stopping this un nessasary amount of pain to MILLIONS of Australian Marino’s then why not utelize it and make sure that the sheep survive long enough to actually provide wool. Sure Mulesing looks painful, but if you really think about it… it is exactly the same as us cutting ourselves or falling of a bike and slicing a layer of skin off. sure it hurts, stings and bleeds for a little bit, but the wound soon heels.
Making OUR farmers suffer the possiblitly of being run out of buisness as everyone is now refusing to purchase mulesed wool, is simply rediculous. There are currently no “official” ways which are considered completly safe and fool proof existing which could work as well as mulesing. so what are you saying… we condem our Aussie Sheep to a short life of torturous maggot infestation due to our farmers not mulesing wanting to sell wool. …
If you ask me.. an AUSTRALIAN girl….
who are the real cruel ones here????